106 



Salad Crops 



Seeds (properly fruits) of 

 lettuce (X 6). 



moisture and to promote all those activities that result in 

 rapid growth. 



Although the lettuce product is usually spoken of as a 

 " head/' there are many kinds of 

 leaf-clusterSj and some of the 

 kinds are known technically as 

 " head lettuce " or " cabhage let- 

 tuce. The Boston Head lettuce 

 is one variet}^, as Simpson and 

 Grand Eapids are others. " Head 

 lettuce " is grown the same as 

 other kindSj special care being 

 exercised to get good seed. 

 Started indoors in April and 

 transplanted to the open in good warm soil, the crop is 

 ready in June. Sometimes heads are blanched by tying up 

 the leaves, but only a few heads should be treated at a 

 time, for they are very likely to decay, particularly if the 

 weather is. wet. Lettuce usually does not head well in 

 warm weather ; a par- 

 tial exception are the 

 Cos lettuces, which 

 are very different in 

 appearance and make 

 a less solid head. 

 Usually, however, the 

 summer product is 

 "leaf lettuce " or 

 " bunching lettuce,'^ the product of many non-heading 

 varieties. Figs. 38, 39, 40 are widely different forms of 

 lettuce; Figs. 41 and 42 show the seeds and seedlings. 



Seedlings of lettuce (X V2). 



