LETTUCE 169 



system consists of a series of pipes installed 

 above the field, one line of pipe being placed 

 every 50 feet. The pipes may be from 100 

 to 300 feet long or longer. In these pipes 

 are installed nozzles which, under pressure, 

 will cause the water to reach out 35 feet from 

 the pipe line. The pipes are turned by man 

 or automatic power, aided by a specially 

 constructed union. In very dry times, it is 

 an advantage to apply about an inch of 

 water to an acre every 10 days. Very rapid 

 development of the crop results. 



Thinning. If the seed is sown in the 

 rows and comes up rather thickly, it would 

 be necessary to thin the same, in order to 

 obtain heads. There are special tools made 

 for this thinning. However, it can be easily 

 thinned with the hands or with a hoe. At 

 South Lima, N. Y., many of the growers use 

 a triangular-shaped tool with a long handle 

 and thus get away from the back-bending 

 work. At -first the lettuce is thinned to 

 stand at least 6 to 7 inches apart and finally 

 from 12 to 14 inches apart in the row. The 

 first thinning would come when the lettuce 

 is probably about an inch to an inch and a 

 quarter tall, and the final thinning when the 

 plants have reached the height of 2 to 2% 



