FORCING 



FORCING 



1255 



tain an abundance of plant-food, should have a good 

 water-holding capacity, be capable of easy working 

 and be as free as possible from weed seeds and disease 

 germs. 



A very important factor in determining the financial 

 return from vegetable-forcing is nearness to market. 

 Other things being equal, the closer the grower can 

 get to the consumer the greater the profit. Cheapness 

 of fuel for heating purposes is also very important. If 

 coal is to be used, the hauUng should be considered 

 when estimating the cost. 



No one thing has more to do with the success or 

 failure in vegetable-forcing than the man who runs the 

 business. To be a success he must enjoy the work. He 

 should have an understanding of the requirements of 

 the crops to be grown and ability to apply himself 

 diligently to his work. Careful attention to details 

 is of greater importance in connection with vegetable- 

 forcing than with any other line of vegetable-growing. 

 Besides being a good grower, he should be a good 

 salesman. 



The forcing of lettuce. Fig. 1548. 



Head lettuce. — As this crop has special treatment 

 elsewhere, it will need but brief mention here. The 

 Boston growers grew head lettuce from the beginning. 

 They were successful in the growing of it and the mar- 

 kets in which they sold demanded head lettuce. The 

 soil used by the Boston growers is of a very loose tex- 

 ture, being well fiUed with organic matter. In working 

 over the soil in the houses it is spaded to a depth of 

 l'-2 to 2 feet. Large quantities of manure are added at 

 frequent intervals. Some growers practise steam 

 sterilization. Heavy watering is done before the plants 

 are set in the beds. The water-holding capacity of the 

 soil is so great that usually no further watering is 

 necessary until the following crop is to be put in. The 

 lettuce is allowed to develop until the heads become 

 large and solid, when they are cut, trimmed, washed 

 and carefully packed in boxes, three dozen heads in a 

 box. If the lettuce is to be shipped some distance it 

 is put up in cases holding one barrel. It is sold by the 

 dozen heads. 



Leaf lettuce. — It was not until Eugene Davis, of 

 Grand Rapids, Michigan, originated and introduced 

 the Grand Rapids leaf lettuce that lettuce-forcing 

 became popular in the middle West. The growing of 

 head lettuce under glass did not prove a success in 

 this region. The cry of "over-production" was heard 

 soon after the forcing of leaf lettuce began and has con- 

 tinued until the present time. With the exception of 

 short periods during the fall months of some years, 

 there has been no over-production of this crop. 



Cultural methods. 



When leaf lettuce is sold by the pound, the usual 

 practice is to grow three crops of lettuce followed by 

 one of cucumbers or tomatoes. When the lettuce is 

 sold by the dozen, more than three crops are commonly 

 grown before the ground is given over to the other 

 crop. Lettuce sold by the pound is usually grown to a 

 much larger size than when it is sold by the dozen. 



The seed for the first crop of lettuce is sown from the 

 first to the middle of August. It is sown in flats or in 

 solid beds, usually broadcast but sometimes in rows. 

 It is sown very thickly and if covered at all with earth 

 the covering is very shallow, not enough soil being 

 used to hide the seeds entirely from view. In warm 

 weather one thickness of heavy brown paper or burlap 

 is thoroughly moistened and placed over the seed as 

 soon as it has been sown and watered. The co\ering 

 is left on until the seed germinates which will vary 

 from two to five days according to the amount of sun- 

 shine and degree of heat in the house. It should not be 

 left on too long as spindhng, nearly worthless plants 

 will result. In cold, cloudy weather seeds sown in 



flats will germinate best if covered with glass for a few 

 days after sowing. 



In about a week, in bright weather, and from ten 

 days to two weeks in cloudy weather, the seedlings will 



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