LETTUCE. 149 



afterwards to be put on, and kept close till the plants 

 begin to appear, when a little air may be given, and 

 when they are fairly up, in mild open weather, 

 during the day, the light may be drawn entirely off; 

 and, as a most essential matter, rain must be kept 

 from the plants as much as possible. In the frame 

 they are to continue, with occasional coverings, in 

 very severe weather, till the end of February or be- 

 ginning of March, when the ground (little or much) 

 should be well prepared for their reception, and the 

 plants set full a foot apart each way. As soon as 

 the hoe can be safely admitted, let that useful instru- 

 ment be set to work, for reasons already assigned. 

 By a similar method, the markets in London are 

 supplied with the finest lettuce in May and June. 



Lettuce to stand the winter under warm walls, 

 borders, frames, &c., such as the Brown Cos, Green 

 Cos, and Brown Dutch, and Hammersmith Green, 

 may be sown from the middle to the end of August, 

 and when the plants are a good size, which they will 

 be in the beginning of October, they should be 

 planted out either in frames or in any sheltered spot 

 there is to spare. The author has got the Imperial 

 Cabbage Lettuce to stand throughout the winter, 

 and remain uncommonly fine till May. 



Should it so happen, which, however, very rarely 

 occurs, that the out-door lettuce is cut off by the 

 severity of the weather, recourse must be had to 

 sowing on a slight heat in February, when the 

 plants, after being properly hardened, are planted 

 out early in spring. Of all the hardy lettuce none 

 exceeds the Hammersmith, which may be sprinkled 

 with either sowings of spinach. 

 L 3 



