LETTUCE. 61 



L.ETTUCE. 



With the increased facility in transportation, the 

 Lower South is beginning to produce lettuce for exten- 

 tensive Northern markets. The southern portion of 

 Florida, and a strip along the entire Gulf, can grow 

 this vegetable without protection, but further north it 

 will be necessary to have at least protecting cloth or 

 hot-bed sashes to break the cold of some of the sever- 

 est weather. It can stand a temperature of 20 F. 

 without damage, while some varieties are not killed 

 even at 15 F. Such low temperatures may not kill the 

 plants, but they retard their development ; this does 

 not prevent their forming heads, however. 



PL ANT- BED. 



In preparing a cold frame or hot-bed for this vege- 

 table, we should select coarse loam and mix with this 

 plenty of vegetable matter, so as to put lots of humus 

 into the soil. The drainage must be so any surplus 

 water will draw off rapidly. 



Sow the seed in shallow drills about three inches 

 apart, and cover lightly. Cover the bed so as to pro- 

 tect it from the sun or too rapid drying. It is a good 

 plan to sprinkle the bed every morning. As soon as 

 the seedlings are up strong, and before the leaves be- 

 gin to form, the largest are picked out with the point 

 of a knife or a similar tool. These seedlings are then 

 set out in rows four inches apart and put the plants 

 an inch apart in the row. 



Only first-class plants should be selected, and the 

 inferior ones destroyed. As soon as the plants are set 

 out, they should be sprinkled thoroughly, and they 

 will grow off without a perceptible check. Before the 

 plants begin to touch in the row,, they should be trans- 

 planted again; this time placed in checks four by four 



