SALSIFY 299 



Black-Seeded Tennis Ball. A popular sort for forcing 

 or early garden culture. It forms large, solid heads and is 

 highly esteemed. 



Salamander. A good heading sort for summer use. 



Buttercup. Bright chrome yellow in color, very beauti- 

 ful ; tender and desirable. A popular new sort. 



Insects and Diseases. There are few insects or diseases 

 that seriously affect the lettuce when grown outdoors. 

 In the greenhouse and occasionally in the hotbeds, it is 

 sometimes attacked by the aphis and mildew. For reme- 

 dies for aphis, see chapter on insects. 



Mildew frequently injures the lettuce crop when it is 

 grown in greenhouses in winter. It is most liable to be 

 caused by over-watering and especially by frequent water- 

 ing in cold or cloudy weather, which keeps the leaves wet 

 much of the time. It is a good plan to water heavily when 

 the crop is planted and to avoid repeating it until the soil 

 is quite dry, and then water heavily again in the morning 

 of a bright day, so that the foliage may dry off before night. 

 Sub-irrigation has been used with excellent success for 

 this crop in greenhouses in winter. 



SALSIFY, OR VEGETABLE OYSTER (Tragopogon porrifolius) 



Description. Native of Europe. A biennial. A plant 

 with long fleshy tap root and grass-like leaves. The flower 

 stalks grow three feet high ; the seed is long, ridged, generally 

 curved, and pointed at both ends. It is rather difficult 

 to plant with a seed sower because of its peculiar form, but 

 when the points are rubbed off it is often so planted. 



Culture. The cultural directions given for the par- 

 snip apply to this plant. It is very easily grown and is 

 hardy, and generally comes through the winter in the 

 extreme Northern states without injury; it is safer, however, 



