ACETARIACEOUS PLANTS.— THE LETTUCE. 



153 



tations by themselves, they should be ac- 

 commodated aocordiug to their natural 

 full size. Such sorts as the tennis-ball, 

 or the Laitue grotte, two of the smaller 

 sorts, will have plenty of room if 10 

 inches apart ; while such as the drum- 

 head will require nearly double. It is 

 seldom, however, unless in large gardens, 

 that plantations of lettuces are made to 

 any extent by themselves ; they form a 

 sort of element in mixed planting, and 

 therefore are often interlined with other 

 crops, such as cauliflower, cabbage, broc- 

 coli, &c., in which case a lettuce plant is 

 very properly placed between each two 

 of the others in the same line, that no 

 interruption may take place in stirring 

 the ground between the rows. In such 

 places they are usually cut for use before 

 they injure the regular crop. 



The London market-garden practice is 

 to sow the white cos variety from the 

 10th to the middle of October in frames, 

 which are filled with soil to within 6 inches 

 of the top, giving a slope of 1 foot in 4 

 the length of the lights, whict always face 

 the north. As soon as the seeds are sown 

 the sashes are removed, and a man is 

 placed in this department to keep off the 

 sparrows, give air, and shut up in case of 

 rain, the great secret being to keep them 

 as dry as possible, and to let them have all 

 the air they can get. This will appear 

 strange to a non-eating salad reader, but 

 it should be remembered that millions of 

 this variety are so grown within a few 

 miles of London, and the price obtained 

 pays the expense. They are planted out 

 in February or early in March, in rich 

 well-trenched ground (after celery), 1 foot 

 apart each way. Mr Cuthill, on whose 

 high authority the above statement is 

 made, observes, that "gentlemen's gar- 

 deners buy the same seed, but, owing 

 to their mismanagement during winter, 

 and the poor state of the ground, they 

 cannot grow such fine lettuces as the 

 market-gardener. Some of the latter," 

 he continues, " are too greedy in regard 

 to crops — for instance, they have often 

 three crops on the ground, all coming 

 forward one after another : but the best 

 cultivators do not do this; it tramples 

 the ground, and does not give any crop 

 fair play. The rapid growth of a lettuce 

 depends much upon hoeing or stirring 

 the soil." 



About the beginning of October an 

 abundant supply of the hardier varieties 

 should be planted out at the bottoms of 

 garden-walls, on dry warm borders, and 

 on raised banks, sloping both towards the 

 sun and also/rom it. On these, in open 

 places, lettuces often stand the winter 

 well ; and should those on the southern 

 side be cut off by strong sunshine suc- 

 ceeding severe frosts, those on the oppo- 

 site side may escape, as the process of 

 thawing will take place more gradually 

 on them. In cold and elevated situa- 

 tions, pits and frames will be required to 

 insure their safety. In such circum- 

 stances the plants should be kept mode- 

 rately dry, and as much exposed to the 

 light and air as possible : hence the 

 lights shoidd be kept off during good 

 weather ; and when on, should be tilted 

 up both night and day, to admit full 

 ventilation. If in frames, it will be of 

 advantage in this respect if they be clear 

 of the ground the thickness of a brick, so 

 that air may pass freely through ; in 

 very severe weather they may be let 

 close down to the ground. Covering the 

 spaces between the plants with coal-ashes 

 will be found of advantage. 



In planting lettuce to stand over win- 

 ter at the bottom of walls, every aspect 

 should be made use of; for it is often 

 found that those set behind a north wall 

 will succeed better than those having the 

 protection of a south one. 



Besides planting at the bottoms of 

 walls for protection during winter, wher- 

 ever there are pits or frames and glasses 

 to spare for the purpose, these should in 

 like manner be filled with young lettuce- 

 plants, to afford a spring supply should 

 the others fail. 



The seed of lettuces is small and light ; 

 half an ounce will sow a bed of 80 square 

 feet, and will, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, produce eight hundred plants. 

 The seed being small, it is necessary the 

 ground should be well pulverised and made 

 smooth before it is sown, and that it be 

 not covered more than about the eighth 

 of an inch. 



Some recommend sowing lettuce on 

 the ground where it is to remain, either 

 broadcast or in rows, and, when the plants 

 come up, to thin them to the distance of 

 from 6 to 14 inches apart, according to 

 their size or sort. This is a waste of 



