276 GARDEN FARMING 



do best on a retentive soil, the spring crops must have a quick, 

 warm soil in order to mature in time to be profitable to the grower. 



Preparation of the soil. In growing lettuce as an early crop to 

 occupy the entire area it will be an advantage to have the land 

 cleared of all rubbish in the fall, deeply plowed, and thrown up 

 into rough beds of the desired width ; or if the crop is to be grown 

 in rows the soil may be listed. With such fall treatment the spring 

 preparation need not be delayed for the soil to come into condi- 

 tion for deep tillage. The surface of the beds and ridges will come 

 into condition quickly and can be raked over to produce a suitable 

 bed for the plants or seed. If horse power is available this work 

 can be done with a weeder of the Breed weeder type, or with the 

 Meeker harrow ; if done by hand the garden rake should be used. 



If, for any reason, deep spring cultivation is necessary the land 

 should be plowed with a turning plow and then carefully pul- 

 verized and compacted. Pulverizing can be accomplished by using 

 first the disk harrow, then the Acme harrow or a spike-tooth drag ; 

 followed by a plank drag or compress roller of the McColm soil 

 pulverizer type, and as a finishing treatment the Meeker disk 

 harrow. The soil will then be in fit condition for planting seed 

 or setting the plants. 



Seed sowing. The most convenient method of planting in cold 

 frames or hotbeds is to sow the seeds ^- inch deep in rows about 3 

 inches apart. The marks should be made wide and the seeds scat- 

 tered in a band or belt rather than in a narrow drill. Seed sowing 

 in frames or hotbeds must, from the nature of the case, be done 

 by hand. In the field, however, the seed drill can be brought into 

 use and the seeds planted not more than J- inch deep in continu- 

 ous rows and thinned down to one plant, at intervals of from 8 to 

 12 inches, as soon as the plants are large enough. The plants taken 

 out of the rows in thinning can be transplanted to extend the area. 

 In fact, it is not an unusual practice to sow the seed in a few rows, 

 which really constitute the seed bed for "the whole field. Notwith- 

 standing the succulent nature of its leaves and the fact that it flags 

 quickly if exposed to sun and air when out of the soil or when it 

 lacks an adequate supply of water, lettuce is a plant which stands 

 transplanting well, for it recuperates quickly if proper precautions 

 are taken at the time not to weaken the plants permanently. If the 



