04 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



once that he was not a writer, and did not 

 believe that he could tell any thing worth 

 knowing. However, 1 suggested that he an- 

 swer a list of questions that I would pro- 

 pound. Well, here are the questions, and 

 following are the answers. The replies 

 given will probably be valuable for other 

 plants, especially greenhouse plants, as well 

 as for lettuce. 



FORCING LETTUCE IN GREENHOUSES. 



After trying different kinds of houses, we prefer 

 the three-quarter span with ])ermanent rails and 

 double-strength glass, 10 by U or 13 by 16, with the 

 rails 14 or 16 inches apart. The houses may be 20 or 

 ~2 feet in width, and 100 Icot long; and in place of 

 having them stand east and west, I would have 

 them northwest and southeast, with shed on the 

 northwest end. I would have the southeast end 

 glass. Our reasons for this are, that it is necessary 

 in this latitude (43° north) to get all the sunshine 

 and light possible in the winter months. Where the 

 houses run east and west, in the usual way, the 

 shed begins to throw a shade at noon. With the 

 above arrangement there would be no shade. 



1. How great a depth of soil do you rec- 

 ommend in the benches, and do you want 

 it any deeper for the mature crop than for 

 starting seedlings ? 



The soil on the benches should be seven inches in 

 depth; for starting seedlings, four inches will be 

 sufficient. 



2. How do you construct the bottom of the 

 bench? If of boards, how wide would you 

 have the boards, and how large spaces for 

 drainage ? I see slate advertised for the 

 purpose. Do you not think it would be bet- 

 ter than wood ? 



The bottom of the benches is made of rough 

 seasoned lumber, of no particular length or width, 

 laid close enough together so the soil will not sift 

 through. That will be all the space required for 

 drainage. Where lumber is very costly, I would 

 recommend putting it in strong lime-water until 

 thoroughly saturated, then dry, and it will last a 

 long time. We never have tried slate, but think it 

 would do first rate. 



8. Have you ever tried growing lettuce 

 where the soil rests directly on the ground ; 

 that is, no open spaces under the benches, 

 and does it do as well ? 



We used solid beds of soil for lettuce one year, 

 but it did not do as well as benches. 



4. If the solid ground does not do as well, 

 would you have the water-pipes or tines run 

 under the beds so as to give bottom heat ? 

 One of our eastern giovvers says he has bet- 

 ter success by carryinsr the hot-water pipes 

 in the air above the lettuce. 



Our houses are heated with Hues running uuder 

 the middle bench, constructed so as to give as even 

 a temperature as possible. Hot-water pipes are 

 better, without a doubt. They cost more to begin 

 with, but are cheaper in the end. I think the loca- 

 tion of the pipes would make little difference, so I 



that you get an even temperature through the 

 house. 



5. If I am correct, I believe you told me you 

 had had as good success with clean sand 

 and stable manure as with any other soil 

 you have tried. Now, do you mix the sand 

 and manure together? If so, what propor- 

 tion of each V Or do you spread the ma- 

 nure on the bottom of the bench, and place 

 the sand on top of it V If the latter, how 

 much sand, and how much manure? 



After trying different kinds of soil we have the 

 best success with a rich light sandy loam; in fact, 

 there is not enough clay in it to form a crust after 

 being wet. It is warm, light, and quick. Our man- 

 ner of preparing the benches for lettuce Is to take 

 live inches of soil and two inches of fresh liorse 

 mnniue, free from litter. Place it on top of the 

 soil; take a lath and make it as fine as you can; 

 then with a spading-fork turn it under deep enough 

 so that, when you set the plants, the roots will not 

 quite reach the manure; that is, for the first crop: 

 the second and third will not need as much ma- 

 nure. Never use the manure from blacksmith 

 shops. We have ruined our crop by using it. Use 

 fresh soil each season. 



6. What temperature do you prefer, both 

 at night and during the day ? 



The night temperature should be i'y to 50°; by 

 day, from 15 to 20^ higher. 



7. Do you not tind the lettuce does better 

 when it has all the sun possible; that is, 

 from the earliest in the morning to the 

 latest at night, without any trees or build- 

 ings to obstruct the sunshine ? Is it also 

 true that you get larger and finer lettuce in 

 February and March than in December or 

 January ? 



Lettuce does better in the winter months when it 

 has all the sunshine possible, so when the houses 

 are built they should not be where trees or other 

 buildings will shade them. In April and May, when 

 the sun gets very warm it may be necessary to 

 shade the glass with a light coat of whitewash. As 

 a general thing, much finer lettuce can be grown in 

 February and March than in December and Janua- 

 ry. 



8. Can you grow better lettuce out of 

 doors in May and June than you can in a 

 greenhouse ? 



Lettuce grown in greenhouses will be much more 

 tender and nice than when grown outdoors. 



9. Have you, with your new variety of let- 

 tuce, got over all trouble from rot ? 



1 have had no trouble from rot since growing the 

 kind of lettuce we have now. It is especially adapt- 

 ed for forcing. 



10. Do you depend upon fumigating with 

 tobacco to keep out the green Hy, and how 

 often do you fumigate ? What sort of an 

 apparatus do you use, and what amount of 

 tobacco do you burn up per week for a 

 greenhouse of given dimensions ? 



