1 1 4 Commercial Gardening 



in October in frames. When the seedlings are up they are all the better 

 for being thinned, so as to give the others room and prevent "drawing". 

 Those that are pulled out can be pricked into frames or covered with 

 cloches. The time for planting out depends upon the form of heat used. 

 Over hot water they can be planted in the beginning of January, and 

 then a couple of crops can be got in before the main crop of Marrows 

 or Cucumbers, or whatever is intended, is put into the frames. If the 

 heat is obtained from manure it is well not to plant till February, 

 because the manure will lose its heat quickly, if put down earlier, before 

 the sunshiny days come. On manure heat the frames will need covering 

 at night, but this is not necessary when hot water is used. Some 

 people sow French Breakfast Radishes before planting the Lettuce. It 

 is doubtful whether anything is gained by this. The Radishes are apt 

 to crowd and hinder the Lettuces. Carrots also are sometimes sown 

 before sowing the Radishes. This plan answers better on the manure 

 heat than on the hot water, as the Carrots will hinder getting a more 

 profitable crop in. The " Early Paris Forcing " Lettuce is the best sort 

 for earliest sowing. Sutton's "Golden Ball" is a good sort for second 

 season. 



For Cos Lettuces, dark or light-green Paris will do. The Cos are 

 more difficult to manage, because they are so apt to get leggy. Good 

 Cabbage Lettuces will generally make 2s. per dozen, and the inferior 

 grades Is. to 9d. per dozen. The Cos, if well done, will sometimes make 

 2s. to 3s. per dozen at the very beginning, although the larger proportion 

 will be sold at Is. to 9cZ. per dozen. 



Spring* Lettuce. For early spring Lettuces in the open ground the 

 earliest are the hardy varieties. For Cos Hick's Hardy White, and for 

 Cabbage Stanstead Park or Lees Imvnense are best. These are sown in 

 late August thinly in drills, and afterwards planted 12 in. by 9 in. in 

 open ground in October. Only light warm soil is suited to them. It is 

 useless to attempt to grow them on soil that is the least heavy and cold. 



A little shelter from winter's winds is a great advantage to these 

 crops, and where the land is suitable the planting of shelter hedges 

 would pay. Some people balk or ridge the land up, then level the 

 furrows into gentle slopes to the south and plant two rows on each 

 furrow. It makes the most of the sunshine and shelters from the 

 northerly winds; but in a spring with many frosts and early thaws it 

 is a question whether catching the early sunshine does not do almost a3 

 much harm as good. 



The next Lettuces to come in are the spring varieties that have been 

 housed in frames all the winter. Sowings for these are commenced in 

 the second week in October, and continued regularly at intervals of a 

 fortnight till the first week in December, after which it is well to desist 

 until the New Year. The soil in the boxes must be made fine, levelled, 

 and firmed before the seed is sown. A J Ib. of sulphate of iron to the 

 square yard of ground may be sown before the soil is finally levelled. It 



