482 



THE PAEKS AND GAEDENS OF PAEIS. [Chap. XXVIII. 



on light, rich, ground, well and deeply stirred, and covered with 

 an inch, or a little more, of thoroughly-decomposed fine stable- 

 manure. The surface is made leyel and somewhat firm, and the 

 impressions of the number of cloches it is intended to use made 

 upon it. One cloche will prove sufficient for a private garden at 

 one sowing ; a few suffice for the wants of a market-garden. The 

 Lettuce-seed is then regularly sown within the ring formed by the 

 impression of the large bell-glass, and covered with a very slight 

 coat of fine rich soil. Then the cloche is put on, 

 the rim being gently pressed into the light rotten 

 mould. Shade is given when the sun shines 

 strongly in early autumn, but air is never given. 

 A peculiarity of this excellent Lettuce is that 

 it grows best without air. 



As soon as the seedlings are strong enough to 

 transplant, they are pricked out, about thirty 

 under each cloche. This transplantation is done 

 at a much earlier stage than is the case with 

 us. The plants are not allowed to get crowded, 

 but are taken up gently and without disturbing 

 the roots, soon after the cotyledons are developed 

 and when the first leaves are beginning to 

 appear. In transplanting, a surfacing of very fine 

 and thoroughly rotten manure is placed over the 

 earth to the depth of an inch, and the earth is 

 often thrown into beds sloping to the south, so 

 that the cloches may enjoy the full sun. "Whether 

 the beds are flat or sloping, they are wide enough 

 for three ranges of cloches placed in an alternate 

 manner, so that very little space is lost between 

 them. Before transplanting, the ground is marked by the 

 impression of a cloche, and the little seedlings are inserted by the 

 finger in the soft mould. Instead of getting drawn, as would be 

 the case if they were left together for a longer period, the plants 

 spread out into neat firm little rosettes, their leaves lying close to 

 the ground, for the light comes freely through the clear cloche, 

 and there is not a sign of ill-health or speck of dust to be seen on 

 the leaves. The strongest batch of those that in September were 

 in the rosette stage, under the cloches, are transplanted into their 



Diagram, showing 

 several stages of Let- 

 tuce-ctiliure under 

 the Cloche. The 



minute dots repre- 

 sent the seedlings^ 

 which are prkked off 

 ivhen very small, as 

 shown in the circle 

 with twenty -four 

 asterisks. The central 

 ring is the plan of a 

 Chche with one Paris 

 Cos Lettuce in the 

 middle, arid Jiiie 

 Cabbage Lettuces 

 around it; above it, 

 one with four plants 

 of a Winter Cabbage 

 Lettiice ; and beneath 

 it, one with three 

 plants of the Cos. 



