GARDENING FOK MARKET. 433 



and they should be gradually accustomed to the cold air, so 

 that they may be able to withstand the hard freezing that 

 they will get in the winter; all through the winter they 

 should have air whenever the frost is thawed from the under 

 side of the glass, and on fine days the sashes should be strip- 

 ped off from them altogether. The end where the lettuce 

 plants are standing should have less air, and should have 

 the protection at night of an old carpet thrown over the 

 sash. Directly in front of the cold frame there should be a 

 second frame made of exactly the same size and character. 

 This should be filled with straw, leaves, or other rubbish 

 which will keep it from freezing, and about the last of Feb- 

 ruary or the first of March its covering should be removed 

 and about three inches of well-rotted manure should be dug 

 into it not too deeply. The lettuce plants are now to be 

 transplanted to this frame, at distances of six and a-half or 

 seven inches each way (about seventy plants to a sash), and 

 covered by the sashes which may now be taken entirely from 

 the hardened cabbage plants. If light board shutters have 

 been provided to cover the cabbages during severe storms, it 

 will be better, but they will stand any amount of hardship 

 after their winter's training. The lettuce plants should have 

 plenty of air during fine weather (and some air whenever 

 it is not freezing), should be abundantly watered if the 

 season is dry, and should be forced by as much heat as can 

 be given them without depriving them of air. They will 



be ready for market about the middle of May, when lettuce 



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