358 The Principles of. Vegetable -Gardening 



perhaps being the best. Lettuce may be followed by 

 cabbages, early cauliflower, celery or various other suc- 

 cession-crops. Sometimes lettuce is transplanted be- 

 tween the plants of early cabbages or cauliflowers, since 

 it will mature before the other plants need all the space. 

 Such companion -cropping is shown in Fig. 106. Let- 

 tuce may be grown in the fall from seeds that are sown 



* 



Fig. 105. Lettuce seedlings. Natural size. 



late in August or in September. In such case it is best 

 to sow in a seed-bed, because the moisture conditions 

 can be controlled better, and a field is usually too dry 

 at that time of the year to give quick germination. It 

 is essential that lettuce make a quick and succulent 

 growth to be at its best. The large -heading varieties 

 are not so much grown as the others, since they demand 

 somewhat greater care and are more particular as to soil. 

 Lettuce usually does best in a soil that is loose and 

 warm, or one that the gardeners call "quick." Soils 



