150 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



Having given the cultivation of the lettuce 

 throughout the year in the open ground, in all its 

 points and bearings, there still remains a matter to 

 be communicated, which has been but little noticed 

 by writers on gardening (not even by the ingenious 

 Miller). What the author alludes to is the forcing 

 of the cabbage lettuce, a peculiar sort, which the 

 Dutch gardeners have for that purpose, and which 

 can be had from most of the principal seedsmen in 

 this country. The method of forcing the above 

 sort of lettuce is as follows : As it is principally 

 throughout the winter and in the early part of 

 spring that such lettuces are in request, preparation 

 must be made towards the .end of October, or the 

 beginning of November, for sowing the seed and 

 making a bed. Any description of hot-house at 

 work, if there be one, will be preferable for rais- 

 ing a sufficiency of plants, which most likely will 

 not exceed t'hree or six lights ; but more or less, 

 according to the wants of the family. A calculation 

 may be readily made from the number of squares 

 in each light : where there is a regular and annual 

 forcing, if the squares of glass are an inch or so 

 larger every way than the usual size, these will be 

 much better, for reasons hereafter assigned. 



Should there be no conveniency of a hot-house, 

 recourse must be had to sowing the seed on a slight 

 hot-bed, about two feet thick, of well-prepared 

 dung. A one-light frame of the larger size will 

 grow a sufficiency of plants, from seed, for five or 

 six lights. After the heat has been up a day or 

 two, six or eight inches of rich light mould should 

 be put on the bed, on which, after being levelled, 



