13 



Portsmouth fine sand has in numerous instances proven to be a 

 fertile soil, capable of producing very valuable special market garden 

 and truck crops. 



The Portsmouth fine sand will produce large yields of Irish pota- 

 toes, but these will not usually mature at so early a date as upon 

 the types of the Norfolk series already described. Moreover, the 

 quality of the potatoes is usually inferior, owing to a tendency to 

 turn brown when cooked and, in the larger tubers, to form hollow 

 centers where decay is likely to start. 



The Portsmouth fine sand is well suited to the production of large 

 yields of the later truck crops. Large yields of early spring cab- 

 bages can be secured. Late strawberries produce exceptionally large 

 yields of fruit of fair quality. Radishes and onions for the bunch 

 trade are certain of heavy yields. 



It is as a lettuce soil that the Portsmouth fine sand can frequently 

 be most profitably used. In the northern markets the head varieties 

 are most in demand. The lettuce is grown as a winter or very early 

 spring crop, and where a specialty is made of lettuce special methods 

 are employed to secure immunity from severe frosts. Large frames, 

 from 18 to 20 feet wide, 2 feet high at the sides and 4 feet high at 

 the center, are erected in the field to any convenient length. Over 

 each frame a light removable cheesecloth cover is spread. This 

 covers the bed completely but does not touch the plants. Whenever 

 unusual cold or frost is anticipated the cheesecloth covering is placed 

 over the beds and a warm-air chamber formed sufficient to preserve 

 the tender plants against any normal winter frosts. After the dan- 

 ger from frost is past and the warm sunlight is desired directly upon 

 the growing plants, the cheesecloth is rolled back and the bed is 

 restored to field conditions. 



Lettuce plants are usually started in small frames, covered with 

 either cheesecloth or glass, and transplanted to the field frames 

 between November 1 and January 1. The plants are set in rows from 

 14 to 18 inches apart and cultivated entirely with hoe and rake. 

 The earliest heads are usually ready for cutting during the period 

 from twelve to fourteen weeks after the date of transplanting. In 

 some localities two crops of lettuce are grown in the beds each season. 

 In such cases the early crop is set late in August or early in Septem- 

 ber and cut from November 1 to December 1. The later crop is set 

 late in December and is marketed in February or March. The spring 

 crop usually is more certain and gives larger yields. Where irri- 

 gation is possible the fall and winter crop can be raised to advantage, 

 since drought is the chief obstacle to its production. 



The preparation of the soil is one of the fundamental operations 

 in lettuce production. Even on naturally fertile soils like the Ports- 



[Cir. 19] 



