160 GAKDENING FOE PROFIT. 



ing of pits, frames, etc., I will in this place confine myself 

 to our system of cultivating it out of doors. 



For our main early crop, that is sold from the open 

 ground in the latter part of May or first of June, the seed 

 is sown the previous season in the open ground, from the 

 15th to 25th of September. These plants are usually 

 large enough to be planted in frames in four or five weeks 

 later, as recommended for Cabbage plants, about 600 or 

 700 being planted in a 3x6 sash. Occasionally we sow 

 them in the frame in fall, and do not transplant them, as it 

 saves a great amount of labor, but they are not quite so 

 good plants unless transplanted, as it is difficult to sow 

 them so that they come up at the regular degree of thick- 

 ness. The winter treatment of Lettuce plants is similar 

 in all respects as described for Cabbage plants. In dry, 

 well sheltered spots, by covering up with leaves or litter, 

 late in the season, say middle of December, Lettuce plants 

 may be saved over winter without glass covering, and in 

 southern parts of the country, without difficulty. Like most 

 plants that we term hardy, 20 degrees of frost will not in- 

 jure them. The plants for setting out in spring, are also 

 sown iu cold frames in February, and in hot-beds in March, 

 and by careful covering up at night, make plants to set 

 out in April ; but these are never so good as those win- 

 tered over, and it can only be recommended where cir 

 cumstances do not permit the other method. To econo- 

 mize, not only in space, but in manure, we make every foot 

 of our gardens available, so that when we come to plant 

 out our Lettuce in March or April, instead of planting it 

 in a bed exclusively for itself, it is planted at the same 

 time and between the rows of Early Cabbage or Cauli- 



