188 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



of December, in beds or flats in the forcing house. That 

 there may be no delay, it is a good plan to make a small 

 sowing every week or two. When one inch high the plants 

 should be pricked out into beds or flats, three or four 

 inches apart each way, and as soon as they crowd should 

 be placed in the beds at a distance of six inches for the 

 Grand Rapids and seven and a half or eight inches for 

 the large Tennis Ball sorts. 



Another method, which is more economical of room, 

 is to prick out the plants in flats or beds one and one- 

 half or two inches each way, and when they begin to 

 crowd transplant to the permanent beds, at distances 

 varying from three to four inches, according to the 

 variety. They are grown in this way until the leaves 

 touch, when the extra plants are taken out, leaving the 

 permanent plants from six to eight inches apart. 



POT CULTURE OF LETTUCE. 



A method of growing lettuce in which the plants are 

 placed in flower pots has been tested by Prof. S. A. 

 Beach of the Geneva, N. Y., Experiment Station, and 

 Prof. E. L. Watts of the Tennessee Station. The seed- 

 ling plants are pricked out in two and one-half or three- 

 inch pots, and are grown there until the plants crowd, 

 when the pots are placed close together (Fig. 70). They 

 are then transferred to the permanent beds, where they 

 are plunged at the usual distance, so that the tops of the 

 pots Avill be covered one-half inch. They will require 

 the same care as when planted in the bed and when 

 marketed the plants may be slipped out of the pots, or 

 not, according to circumstances. 



It is claimed for this method that there is no check 

 from transplanting, that the beds will only be occupied 

 for four weeks, while if the plants are placed at once in 

 the permanent beds it will be at least eight weeks before 

 the crop can be taken off, and that there will be less 



