SPRING LETTUCES 161 



to ensure a steady heat during the severe weather. 

 In addition, it will be necessary, perhaps, to place dry 

 manure between the cloches, and also to fill up the 

 narrow pathways between the beds. Severe frosts at 

 night must be kept out by double or treble coverings 

 of mats if necessary. 



When the beds are prepared, and covered with 

 4 or 5 in. of nice mould, one 

 Grise maralchere Cos Lettuce, and 

 three "Black Gotte" Cabbage Let- 

 tuces are to be planted under each 

 cloche, the Cos in the centre and 

 the Cabbage Lettuces at the points 

 of an equilateral triangle, as shown 

 in fig. 47. These Lettuces are FlG 47> 



from seeds sown in September. 



. It should be noted that the variety of Cos Lettuce 

 known as " Dwarf Frame Cos " or " Plate a cloches " is 

 considered unsuitable for planting with Cabbage 

 Lettuces in the same way as " Paris Market Cos " (Grise 

 mar dicker e], because its leaves at first spread out so 

 much towards the circumference of the cloche that 

 the Cabbage Lettuces would not have a fair chance of 

 developing. Towards maturity, however, the leaves 

 rise up to the top of the cloche, and then bend inwards 

 one over the other. 



SPRING LETTUCES. For spring crops seeds of Cos 

 Lettuce are sown in the latter half of September, or 

 early in October, in the open air, or on raised sloping 

 beds, or under cloches. The plants are pricked out in 

 due course, placing twenty-four or thirty under each 

 cloche (see figs. 37-8) . After shading and keeping close 

 for a few days, air is then given on all favourable 



ii 



