162 A HOME VEGETABLE-GARDEN 



produces tough texture and bitter flavor. There- 

 fore, the fortunate possessor of a hotbed will grow 

 the first lettuce in its sheltering warmth. When 

 the air and the soil outside are warm enough, 

 the young lettuce plants may be removed to the 

 garden ; but, if there is room, they are much better 

 matured where they have begun to make tender 

 growth. As the leaves become large enough, they 

 are picked; and, so long as the new growth is 

 tender and the flavor still delicate, or until the 

 seed-stalks begin to form, the leaves may still be 

 gathered. The same old-fashioned plan is fol- 

 lowed with the early garden lettuce bed some- 

 times. In the old gardens, the lettuce seed was 

 scattered broadcast over a broad bed, hoed up or 

 ridged high enough to provide surface drainage 

 and to secure air and warmth of the spring sun- 

 shine throughout the bed. Scattered thickly over 

 the surface, the seed was raked in. Then, as the 

 plants developed, the biggest leaves were gathered 

 until the plants began to go to seed. The loose- 

 leaved lettuces are satisfactory for the hotbed; 

 but I should choose some variety of head lettuce 

 for even the first outdoor sowing. 



Mignonette lettuce was discovered in a hunt 

 through the catalogue for something new. The 

 name was attraction enough to make sure of a 

 trial. The seeds were sown by chance among the 

 young summer squash plants; and, as the little 

 heads of Mignonette lettuce began to form, they 



