210 PRIZE GARDENING 



The heading or cabbage lettuce is more exacting if a 

 fine quahty is desired. The first crop of lettuce from 

 the houses should be ready to use by the middle of 

 November. 



For this crop, seed should be sown in September, 

 allowing on an average from six to eight weeks for the 

 crop to mature. A temperature of fifty-five to sixty 

 degrees through the day, with a drop to forty-five at 

 night, will suit all varieties, but in the case of the 

 heading varieties a rise of five to ten degrees at the time 

 of heading will finish ofif the crop more uniformly. 



According to Hunn, the construction of a house 

 for forcing winter vegetables is not a matter of first 

 importance. The three-quarter span house perhaps 

 furnishes as nearly as possible the best condition for 

 forced crops. However, an even-span or shed-roof 

 house grows many crops to a high degree ol perfection. 

 As for the inside arrangement of the house, the crops 

 to be grown will have much to do in the matter. 



Cool-house crops, as lettuce, radish and the like, 

 are well grown in solid beds, while heat-loving plants, 

 as tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, etc., should be planted 

 on benches built over the pipes. This means that the 

 cost of building a greenhouse depends very much on 

 what crop one expects to grow. The saving in benches 

 and heat in houses devoted to cold crops is considerable, 

 while the ease with which such crops may be grown 

 recommends them to the beginner. 



A Minnesota Competitor made a cold frame, April 

 14, for tomatoes and early cabbage, taking two boards 

 five f^et k -ig and one foot wide for the sides, and two 

 boards three feet long and one foot wide for the ends, 

 and made a box with no bottom to it. He set the box 

 in the ground about two inches ; dug up the ground on 

 the inside and sowed the seeds. Then he took one of 



