252 



Gardening 



some of the smaller sorts resemble Cos lettuce in habit of 

 growth. Undoubtedly varieties will be found or de- 

 veloped that are suited to various conditions and needs 

 in the United States. The beginner can grow good 

 crops from the seed of any of those varieties that may 

 now be bought from seed firms. 



Head lettuce. In some localities having moist and 

 somewhat prolonged cool weather in spring, excellent 

 head lettuce may be grown from seed sown early in the 

 field. Much commercial head lettuce, especially of the 



Salamander variety, is 

 thus grown in the market 

 gardens on Long Island. 

 In most home gardens, 

 good head lettuce can be 

 grown best in the spring 

 by the transplanting 

 method. In many if 

 not most sections, heads 

 will form only if special 

 attention is given to 

 every step in the grow- 

 ing of the crop so that 

 a vigorous, rapid, and 

 continuous growth is 

 maintained during the 

 cool weather of spring. 

 Give seedlings plenty of 

 FIG. 140. Head lettuce, that was grown room in flats (space them 



out-of-doors in the fall, being set out in g^ least 3 inches apart) 

 a cold frame at the approach of cold 



weather. m order to obtain stocky 



