SOLID BEDS VS. BENCHES. 



95 



moisture are uniform. This is more especially true of 

 the heading varieties. Our own experience has fully 

 demonstrated the superiority of solid earth beds over 

 benches, for lettuce. We have had good crops in 

 benches, but they have required special attention to heat- 

 ing and watering, and even then the results are generally 



33, A ground bed, with Grand Rapids lettuce. 



precarious. If, however, the benches have no bottom heat 

 that is, if there are no heating pipes close under them 

 and if the sides are open below very good results, par- 

 ticularly with the loose or non-heading sorts, may be had 

 from year to year. The benches, when used, should con- 

 tain about six inches of earth. Fig. 32 shows an earth 

 bed, about 9 inches deep, in which we have had ex- 

 cellent success with lettuce. 



