548 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 747. 



Lettuce as a Greenhouse Crop. 



IN recent numbers of this journal we have reported some 

 experiments relating to greenhouses and greenhouse- 

 work, an account of which was published, with full details, 

 in the September Bidleim of the Ohio Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station. Mr. W. S. Turner, of the Horticultural De- 

 partment of that station, has been giving some attention to 

 the growing of Lettuce under glass, and we quote herewith 

 a condensed statement of his experience in this direction : 



For germinating Lettuce-seed well-pulverized compost soil 

 is good, although we consider black muck better than any- 

 thing else we have ever used, as it holds moisture well, is not 

 lumpy, and the plants can be taken from it for transplanting 

 without breaking the small roots, as happens in heavier soil. 

 L'se flats for sowing seed and first transplanting. They may 

 be easily moved under benches, or from a warm to cooler, or 

 light to darker location, as the seed or plants may require. 

 This saves space, either in greenhouse, hot-bed or cold frame. 

 Sow seed in drills one and a half or two inches apart, making 

 the drill marks one-fourth of an inch deep, having the soil in 

 flats somewhat packed, so that the marks will be of uniform 

 depth. Cover by sifting with the hand sufficient fine-screened 

 muck or soil over the box to cover the seeds from sight, 

 smoothing over with a stick or board. 



Care should be taken in watering to use a fine spray, or, bet- 

 ter .still, to set the flats for two or three hours in the water- 

 bench and irrigate from below. There is considerable danger 

 of the young plants damping off in the dark weather of winter 

 or early spring. To avoid this the flats are kept in as warm, 

 well-ventilated a place as possible and the soil well stirred, 

 using water very sparingly. 



We transplant into flats two by iwo inches apart when the 

 second leaves are well started ; this will be about three 

 weeks from sowing. The soil used should be of rich com- 

 post, heavier than for seeding, so that the plants may be taken 

 up for the last transplanting with a lump of dirt about the roots. 

 Stir the soil frequently between the rows to prevent damping 

 off as before. They may remain in these flats about three 

 weeks after this transplanting, or longer if kept in a cool place, 

 or be carried out into a hot-bed or cold frame, as the case may 

 be, for hardening off. 



The soil in the beds into which the Lettuce is transplanted 

 the second and last time should be a rich compost, or muck 

 may be used with a mulching of fresh, well-pulverized horse- 

 manure. Set the plants six or eight inches apart. Such varie- 

 ties as Grand Rapids and Simpson do well six by eight, or even 

 six by six inches apart, but head Lettuce requires more room, 

 at least eight by eight inches apart. Cultivate between the 

 rows as before ; water often, but not too heavily, until the 

 plants cover the surface of the soil, then water by pouring on 

 in a solid stream between the rows, from hose or watering- 

 can. This is in order to keep the water oft the foliage as much 

 as possible. If large-leaved Lettuce-plants are well drenched 

 the water runs down toward the hearts, and it is very slow in 

 drying out, a condition which is favorable for rot and mildew. 



To fight the green fly (Aphis) use tobacco-dust, which may 

 be had at any cigar factory ; one cent per pound is the cost of 

 it in Columbus. Sift it quite plentifully over the young plants 

 soon after the first transplanting. Use again soon after second 

 transplanting, but when the plants get large it will not be suffi- 

 cient in the greenhouse, but will answer in hot-beds or cold 

 frames. In the house, fumigate by burning the tobacco-dust, 

 as it burns easily, makes more smoke than tobacco-stems, and 

 is not so dangerous. After fumigating the lice will drop on to 

 the soil, when by sifting the tobacco on them they will be quite 

 thoroughly destroyed. 



For convenience in note-taking and reference, we have ar- 

 ranged the varieties into five groups. This grouping is not 

 intended as a systematic classification, but varieties of similar 

 habits of growth are simply brought together. The first group 

 embraces those that form quite firm heads. The second and 

 third groups contain the loose-heading sorts ; those with plain, 

 or nearly plain, leaves being placed in the former and the curly- 

 leaved in the latter. Those in the fourth group do not form 

 heads, but loose bunches of leaves merely. Those in the fifth 

 group are Cos varieties. 



We consider the first and second groups undesirable to grow 

 in this locality, because there is very little demand for them in 

 the market. They are more subject to diseases than open- 

 growing kinds, they require more space, and it takes a longer 

 time for them to come to maturity. This is especially true of 

 the second group. Of the first group. Perfection White, Forc- 

 ing and Stone Head are the earliest. Tennis Ball is the best of 



this class. Landreth's Forcing, Rawson's Hot-house and New 

 Forcing are no improvement over the Tennis Ball, as far as 

 we have been able to discover. New Forcing is very uniform, 

 but not as firm as the Tennis Ball, and has a bronze tinge, 

 which is not desirable. 



Those of the second group resemble one another quite 

 closely in growth, but vary in color. They are all quite good 

 yielders, but very slow in forming heads ; among them are 

 Deacon, Boston Market, and the like. 



Those of the third group are the most desirable for home 

 and garden growing, being very vigorous, heavy yielders, as 

 their weights indicate, also very crisp and tender ; but they are 

 too brittle for marketing, and of such form that they cannot 

 be handled as head lettuce, nor as loose bunch-lettuce, and 

 are, therefore, not desirable for market. Blonde Blockhead, 

 Marblehead Mammoth and Sunset cannot be distinguished 

 from one another except by their labels. This variety is the 

 most desirable of the class, with the exception of the Onon- 

 daga and All Cream, which are very silky and pliable in tex- 

 ture, easily handled, but are tinged with red like the Prize 

 Head, making them unfit for market, with possible exceptions. 

 All Cream is much more vigorous, and a heavier cropper than 

 the Onondaga. Tilton's White Star is not specially noteworthy. 

 Henderson's New York is too dark in color to be desirable, 

 but is a very strong grower. 



Those of the fourth group resemble one another in growth, 

 but are quite different in appearance of leaf and coloring. The 

 Tomhannock is colored like the Prize Head, but does not form 

 a head, and is much like the Grand Rapids in growth. Black 

 Seeded Simpson is the quickest-growing of all varieties, 

 rightly named by Salzer as the earliest (Salzer's Earliest). It 

 is the most desirable kind for late spring growing in cold 

 frame or out-of-doors. Nellis' Perpetual and Curled Simpson 

 are very nearly alike and not particularly valuable. Grand 

 Rapids we consider the best of all varieties for winter and 

 early spring crop, because of its freedom from disease, fine 

 appearance of leaf and bunch, and good handling qualities. 

 Its one fault is that it is a little slow in coming to maturity, but 

 it makes up for that in steady gain in weight after it is large 

 enough to harvest. Many varieties begin to lose in weight as 

 soon as mature, and hence m ust be cut promptly, but wi th Grand 

 Rapids this loss is very small, even if left standing for some 

 time. In the east, head lettuce is grown almost exclusively, 

 probably owing largely to the demands of the markets. Grand 

 Rapids lettuce sells as well or better than head lettuce in 

 Columbus and most other Ohio markets, and is much more 

 profitable to the grower, because it can be planted closer, thus 

 giving a larger yield, and, as above stated, it is less liable to 

 disease. It is so much superior for forcing to all other varie- 

 ties that those who have given it a trial, plant it almost exclu- 

 sively. No grower in this state need hesitate to plant it ; in 

 fact, he can hardly afford to plant any other variety. This 

 may seem to be a strong statement, but the facts so far as ob- 

 served will bear it out. Chicago Forcing is too tough in tex- 

 ture and too dark green to be desirable. Denver Market is 

 too slow in growth and too liable to disease to be of any 

 value. Boston Fine Curled, Green Fringed and Oak Leaf are 

 only suitable for decoration, and may be raised in limited 

 quantities for the holidays. 



The Cos Lettuces are so little known and are of such dark 

 green, dock-like appearance, that they could scarcely be given 

 away in this locality, although the inside leaves are quite brit- 

 tle and good when well blanched. 



In market value the average weight of heads corresponds 

 quite closely with the price. In early winter and late spring, 

 small heads of two-ounce weight bring about twenty cents per 

 dozen in this market ; four or six ounce heads about fort)' cents 

 per dozen, although a much larger quantity can be sold in late 

 spring than in early winter. In late winter and early spring 

 two-ounce plants will bring thirty to forty cents ; four and six 

 ounce plants from sixty to eighty cents per dozen. It is, thus, 

 very desirable to have the best and largest crop come off in 1 

 February and March. There is a moderate demand for lettuce 

 at Thanksgiving-time and also at the holidays, but only a lim- 

 ited amount can be sold. All available space should be de- 

 voted to lettuce to come to maturity in February or March. 



It takes eleven or twelve weeks to grow the early winter and 

 late spring crop, and thirteen or fourteen weeks to grow the , 

 late winter crop, as the young plants grow slower through the 

 dark months of winter. By the use of flats four crops of let- 

 tuce maybe grown in a season, three in the greenhouse and 

 one in cold frames or hot-beds, but all may be started in the 

 house. The young plants occupy the flats about half the 

 time of their growth, so that the entire space required by a 

 crop is occupied only about six weeks. Three crops may be 



