216 GARDENING FOR PiiOFIT. 



itself, it is planted at the same time and between the 

 rows of Early Cabbage or Cauliflower, which are set at 

 two feet apart. The Lettuce matures its crop in half 

 the time that it takes for the Cabbage, and is conse- 

 quently all cut off and marketed before the Cabbage is 

 half grown. If it were not so, they could not be both 

 grown at once on the same ground, for, when the Cab- 

 bage crop attains its growth, it requires the full space 

 allowed two feet for its development. 



This early crop of Lettuce from the open ground is 

 considered rather an auxiliary than a main one ; it meets 

 with a rapid sale at an average of $1.50 per 100 heads. 

 Rather a low price, it may be thought ; but growers hav- 

 ing only ten acres of ground not unirequently plant over 

 100,000 heads. It is planted somewhat closer than Cab- 

 bage, usually about 15,000 per acre. 



For succession crops of Lettuce, sowings may be made 

 in the open ground as early as spring opens until July. 

 "When not planted between Cabbage, they are set at one 

 foot apart each way. They are sold to some extent 

 throughout the whole summer, but the great weight of 

 the crop is sold about the first week of June in New 

 York markets. The summer price of Lettuce is very 

 variable, as the supply is often irregular ; it may average 

 $2 per 100. 



The passenger in Elevated Railroad cars going from 

 Sixtieth Street to Harlem, on New York Island, may yet 

 see, any day from June to October, little patches of vege- 

 tation of different shades of green, ranged in uniform 

 and regular lines. These are the " salad patches, "culti- 

 vated mainly by German market gardeners ; they range 

 from two acres down to a quarter of an acre in area. It 

 seems a wonder that the cultivation of such a small plot of 

 earth should give an able-bodied man a living ; but a liv- 

 ing it does give in nearly all cases, and some have quite a 

 respectable surplus for a "rainy day." 



