LETTUCE 



LEUCADENDRON 



1847 



2137. Clustering type of lettuce. 



use of good seed of a suitable variety, the gathering of 

 the crop in early morning when the leaves are cool and 

 stiff and handling it with as little exposure to sunshine 

 as practically possible. 



In the recent years, hundreds of acres from Wash- 

 ington southward have been devoted to growing let- 

 tuce for shipment during the late winter and spring. 

 In the northern sections, sash-covered frames with a 

 single hot-water pipe along the front to guard against 

 severe freezing are used. Farther south similar frames 

 without provision for artificial heat but covered during 

 the colder nights with sash and mats are used, and still 

 farther south frames with only canvas curtains; or 

 the crop is grown in sheltered fields with no artificial 

 protection. All such plantings, however, are liable to 

 become unpalatable or even lulled by long-continued 

 cold. The great essentials to success are a rich soil, 

 even moisture, the fullest possible exposure to sun- 

 light and first of all the use of pure seed of a variety like 

 the Hubbard Market which is hardy and adapted to 

 that cultural method and will stand shipment long 

 distances and exposure in the market without loss of 

 attractiveness. 



The growing of lettuce seed. In few vegetables 

 is the satisfaction from a planting more dependent 

 upon the varietal character and quality of the seed 

 used, and fortunately the quality of most of that on the 

 market is very dependable. Up to about 1865 most 

 of the seed came from Europe, though comparatively 

 small quantities were grown in Connecticut, New York 

 and Michigan. About that time persons began to 

 grow lettuce seed in California and the amount pro- 

 duced has increased until today not only the greater 

 part of that used in America is grown there but large 

 and constantly increasing quantities are sent to 

 Europe. While small plantings of especial lots, of 

 which little stock seed is available, are grown from 

 started plants which are set in place in the field, the 

 greater part of the crop is grown from seed sown in 

 rows about 30 inches apart and the least typical plants 

 pulled out until three to five plants to the yard are left. 

 Many stocks grow such large and solid heads that they 

 have to be pulled apart in order to let the seed-stalks 

 shoot up, and often the lower leaves of the plant have 

 to be pulled away to prevent the seed-stalk rotting at 

 the base. As soon as the seed begins to ripen, the plants 

 are cut and laid on large sheets onto which the earlier 

 ripening seeds fall and the later ones are threshed off. 

 The yield of seed varies greatly with the variety and 

 the grower's success in securing it with little loss from 

 birds or from shattering in the field and while har- 

 vesting, and commonly runs from 500 to 1,000 pounds 

 to the acre. The growing of seed requires special expe- 

 rience and skill. yy yy TRACY 



LEUCADENDRON (Greek, white tree). 

 Proteaceae. This genus includes the celebrated 

 silver-tree of the Cape of Good Hope (see 

 Fig. 2138), which has a striking and charac- 

 teristic habit, and leaves densely covered 

 with white silky hairs. 



Shrubs or trees, all of S. Afr., above 60 in 

 number: Ivs. mostly narrow, sometimes even 

 needle-like, entire, glabrous or silvery-tomen- 

 tose, with a hardened apex: fls. dioecious, 

 regular; male fls. usually many, in heads, each 

 subtended by a bract and the head some- 

 times involucrate, the perianth-segms. sepa- 

 rated to the middle or beyond, the anthers 

 oblong or linear and sessile at the base of 

 the perianth-limb ; female fls. subtended by 

 woody bracts and aggregated into cone-like 

 heads, the perianth more deeply divided 

 than that of the male fls., bearing narrow 

 staminodia. 



argenteum, R. Br. (Prdtea argentea, Linn.). 

 SILVER-TREE. Fig. 2138. Branches densely 

 leafy : Ivs. sessile, 3-6 in. long, H-l%'m. wide, callous and 

 blackish at the apex, lanceolate, acute, silvery white, and 

 silky : involucres spreading, longer than the globular head 

 of fls. : nut ventricose, turgid, wingless, the whole style 

 and calyx persisting with it, obovate. B.R. 979. V. 5 : 282, 

 283. G.C. III. 6:725. This tree grows wild on Table 

 Mountain, Cape Town. In the early part of last century it 

 was much used by settlers for firewood. It is said to grow 

 poorly away from the Cape, except in S. Calif., where it 

 does well outdoors. It is also rarely cult, in the E. in 

 tubs, being protected in a cool greenhouse in winter and 

 placed on the lawn in summer. The silver-tree attains 



2138. Silver-tree. Leucadendron argenteum. 



30 ft. at the Cape, and in S. Calif, it has reached more 

 than that height but is reported to be short-lived (25-30 

 years at the most). It is a very showy plant because of 

 its silky somewhat compact foliage, and is worth grow- 

 ing for the juvenile state. Not difficult to start from 

 seeds, but seedlings are very liable to damping-off , and 

 the plants are said to transplant with difficulty in Calif. 

 The tree needs good drainage. The dried leaves are 

 sometimes used for decorative purposes. (See G.C. 

 HI. 6:714). L. H. B. 



