ENCYCLOPAIDIA OF GARDENING. 
6 in,; pendula, yellow, red, and purple, 6 in.; tricolor, red and yellow, spring, 
- ft.; seleolots quadricolor, red, green, and yellow; violacea, violet and green, 
pring, . 
Lactuca (Flowering and Edible Lettuce)—Ord, Composite. 
Hardy border perennials & salad vegetables. Edible lettuce intro- 
duced 1562. 
CULTURE OF FLOWERING LETTUCE: Soil, sandy loam. Posi- 
tion, open, sunny, dryish border. Plant, Oct. or March. Propagate 
by seeds sown } in. deep outdoors in April; division of roots in March. 
CULTURE OF EDIBLE LETTUCE: Soil, light, rich, deeply dug. 
well manured. Position, south borders for spring & winter crops; opeu, 
sunny for summer crops: Sow seeds } in. deep in light soil in temp. 
65° in Jan., Feb., or March, for planting outdoors in March, April, & 
May; in bed of rich soil in sunny spot outdoors in March, April, May, 
& June, for planting out in April, May, June, & July; outdoors in Aug. 
& Sept., for planting out in Sept. & Oct.; in cold frames in Oct., for 
planting out in March. Plant, 10 in. apart in rows 12 in. asunder. 
Blanch cos varieties by tying bast round outside a week before re- 
required for use. Surround each newly planted seedling with a cordon 
of soot or lime. Water freely when first planted, if weather dry. 
Cabbage varieties best for poor dry soil; cos for heavy & rich soil. Suit- 
able artificial manures: Superphosphate of lime applied before planting 
at the rate of 14 1b. per square rod; nitrate of soda when plants begin to 
grow freely, at rate of 1}1b. to square rod—apply latter in showery 
weather. For producing seed, plant in poor soil in April or May. Seed 
retains vegetative powers for four years; best heart produced by plants 
grown from two-year-old seed. Winter lettuce ought to be grown in cold 
frames during winter, & planted out in March. Crop reaches maturity 
in 10 to 12 weeks. Seeds germinate in 8 days. 
Marxet Cunture: Soil, deeply ploughed or dug & well manured 
previous winter. Manures: 20 tons of stable dung and 3 cwt, super- 
phosphate per acre ploughed in during winter. Apply 1 cwt. of nitrate 
of soda per acre when crop is well up. Sow seeds under glass in Feb. 
and plant out 9in. apart in April. Sow in March and onwards in open, 
& winter crops in Aug. One pound of seed sufficient for an acre. 
Blanch cos lettuce by tying with bast 10 days before cutting. Market 
by dozen or score. Average yield per acre, 1,400 score. One ounce of 
seed will yield 3,000 plants. Lettuce seeds retain vegetative powers for 
5 years, and germinate in 8 days. Average price per doz., 1s. to 3s. 
SPECIES CULTIVATED: L. alpina (Syn. Mulgedium alpinum), blue, Aug., 3 ft., 
N. Europe; macrohiza (Syn. Mulgedium macrohiza), purple, autumn, 3 ft., Hima- 
layas; Plumieri (Syn. Mulgedium Plumieri), purple, summer, 8 ft., Pyrenees; 
Scariola (Syn. Sativa), parent of the cultivated edible lettuce, Europe (Britain). 
Ladder Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)—See Nephrolepis. 
Lad’s-love (Artemesia Abrotanum).—See Artemesia. 
Lady Fern (Asplenium Filix-foemina).—See Asplenium. 
Lady Grass (Phalaris arundinacea variegata).—See Phalaris. 
Lady Orchis (Orchis purpurea).—See Orchis. 
Lady-in-the-Bower (Nigella damascena).—See Nigella. 
Lady’s Bower (Clematis vitalba).—See Clematis. 
Lady’s Fingers (Anthyllis vulneria‘.—See Anthyllis. 
Lady’s Garters (Phalaris arundinacea variegata). — See 
Phalaris. 
Lady’s Hair (Briza media).—See Briza. 
Lady’s Pincushion (Armeria maritima).—See Armeria. 
228 
