STOKES SEED FARMS COMPANY 



MOORESTOWN 



NEW JERSEY 



Lettuce 



(Laduca Sativa) 



History — A native of Asia. The exact country of origin is not 

 certain, neither the date when it was introduced into Europe, but 

 scientists agree that it has no doubt been under cultivation from very 

 remote times. The name lettuce is no doubt a corruption of a Latin 

 word Lactuca, on account of the miUcy juice known to the vegetable. 

 Herodotus tells us that lettuce was served in its natural state at the 

 royal tables of the Persian King over five hundred years before the 

 Christian Era. According to PHny, the Romans were not acquainted 

 with much of a variety of this vegetable ; however, it was known to 

 have marvelous cooling quahties and was often used to reduce 

 fever. There was no attempt to cultivate lettuce in England until 

 the fourth year of Queen Elizabeth's reign (1562). Thirty-seven 

 years after this, however, Gterard speaks of eight distinct varieties. 

 Since that time a great many variations have been made. 



No. 440. Black Seed Tennis Ball. Synonyms: All Year 

 Round (1876), Salamander (Henderson, 1882), Bloomsdale Butter 

 (Landreth, prior to 1884), Sensation (Johnson & Stokes, 1892), All 

 Heart (Dreer, 1900). 



Days to Maturity, 71. It will hold eleven days before shooting 

 to seed. It is a very old European variety, the first grown in America 

 being offered by Booth in 1810, and by Sinclair & Moore and by 

 Landreth in 1826. Its great age, as welLas its wonderful quality, 

 is no doubt responsible for the many synonjTns which have been 

 attached to it. It is a butter variety, strictly cabbage heading, 

 large to medium in size, early-intermediate in season, standing well 

 before shooting to seed. The color of the head is light green, but 

 is not spotted or brownish as is the case with certain other heading 

 varieties. The quality is excellent and highly recommends itself for 

 both private and market gardeners. It is a sure and reliable header 

 and excellent shipper. The seed is a grayish black. 



Pkt. 5i, oz. 10^, M lb. 30ji, lb. $1.00, 5 lbs. $4.50, postpaid; by 

 express, 5 lbs. or more, 80^ per lb. 



BLACK SEED TENNIS BALL OR SALAMANDER (x 1/4) 



No. 448. Unrivaled. Green-Leaved Big Boston strain. Days 

 TO Maturity, 78. It will hold eighteen days before shooting to seed. 

 The original of this was offered by Vilrnorin, Andrieux & Co., of 

 France, as Sans Rival, and first introduced on this continent by 

 two Canadian seed firms, Messrs. John A. Bruce & Co. and Mr. 

 J. A. Simmers in 1902, and listed by seedsmen generally in this 

 country the year following. This variety closely resembles Big 

 Boston, and in order to emphasize this fact, we offered the variety 

 under the name Green-Leaved Big Boston in 1917. No doubt 

 Vilmorin secured his original stock from a sport of the Trocadero, 

 and this fact, no doubt, accounts for its being difficult to secure a 

 true stock thereof, even after sixteen years of constant effort. We 

 believe the seed we offer now to be as true, however, as we have 

 ever been privileged to offer. Pkt. 5i, oz. 10^, }4 lb. 30^, lb. 81.00, 

 5 lbs. $4.50, postpaid; by express, 5 lbs. or more, 80^ per lb. 



CALIFORNTA CREAM BUTTER (xl/4> 



No. 444. California Cream Butter. Days to Maturity, 77. 

 Will hold seventeen days before shooting to seed. Named and in- 

 troduced by Burpee in 1888. It seems probable, however, that it is 

 merely a renaming of the older Royal Summer Cabbage. Mammoth 

 Black Seeded Butter (Thorbum) and Mammoth Salamander (John- 

 son & Stokes) are varieties so similar that they are now considered 

 practically sjmonymous. The foreign name for California Cream 

 Butter is Winter Tremont. One of the desirable features of this 

 variety is its long standing habit after maturity, holding almost 

 twice the time of the Black Seed Tennis Ball. It is a cabbage butter 

 head, with thick leaves, dark green, tinged vnth brown and spotted. 

 The inside of the head is a rich golden yellow. The quahty is excel- 

 lent and, under satisfactory conditions, will form a solid head. 

 California Cream Butter or Mammoth Salamander has made splendid 

 easy money for large lettuce growers in many parts of the countrj-. 

 It is a highly recommended variety both for commercial and private 

 planting, and our strain will run up to a high standard of purity. , 

 The seed is a very dark brownish color. This variety will prove es- 

 pecially valuable if brought to maturitj' as the warmer davs advance. 



Pkt. 5^, oz. 10^, ^/i lb. 30fi, lb. $1.00, 5 lbs. $4.50, postpaid; by 

 express, 5 lbs. or more, 80^ per lb. 



UNRIVALED (x 1/4) 



46 



See Tables on Page 8 and read these descriptions carefully before ordering 



