nearly as regularly and methodically as are the products of the mill 

 or factory and handled by equally business-like methods. 



Lettuce as a Crop. 



Lettuce is not an easy crop to grow under glass successfully and 

 profitably. This is true for two reasons, one from the nature of the 

 marketable product, the other on account of the peculiarities of the 

 plant itself. Cucumbers and tomatoes may be gathered, to some 

 extent at least, from plants poorly grown, more or less diseased, or 

 in other ways not well developed. This will of course cause a loss, 

 but not a total loss, in the product. But with lettuce the case is dif- 

 ferent. Here the whole plant is marketed and forms the edible por- 

 tion. Consequently it must be well grown, sound, perfect, and of 

 good size and texture, or, in competition with the large amount of 

 lettuce of the best quality which is almost always on the market, the 

 small margin of profit which even the best goods bring will fail to be 

 realized. This, therefore, is one reason why it is not easy to grow 

 lettuce on a large scale with profit. Furthermore, there is no crop 

 grown under glass so easily influenced by unfavorable conditions or 

 improper handling. This applies particularly to temperature and 

 moisture, conditions toward which this plant is vitally sensitive. 

 With this combination of circumstances, a most sensitive plant to 

 handle and a perfect product demanded, it is to be expected 

 that much failure would occur. Even the best growers have 

 trouble with their crops, sometimes experiencing severe loss, and 

 the fact that they reach the success they usually do shows their 

 great practical knowledge of the plant and its growth. In fact it 

 may be said that the lettuce growers of the Boston district, with 

 a few others in various parts of the state, cultivate this crop with 

 a degree of skill and success unequalled by any other class of veg- 

 etable growers, and represent to-day the most successful, the most 

 skillful, and above all the most business-like, up-to-date, and 

 thoroughly wide awake agriculturists of the State. 



THE TROUBLES OR DISEASES WHICH AFFECT GREEN- 

 HOUSE LETTUCE. 



HIBLIOGRAPHV. 



I. Humphrey, J. E. The rotting of lettuce. Rept. Mass. State Exp. 

 Sta. 9 : 219. 1892. 



