366 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



kind, somewhat resembling the White Batavian Lettuce. The 

 leaves are large and twisted and pale green tinged with red. 

 Head rather large, but flabby. This variety does not answer for 

 summer culture. 



n. Spring Varieties 



These are sown in March, on a spent hot-bed,or simply on compost 

 (rotted spent manure), at the foot of a south wall. The seedlings 

 are planted out in April, and the plants may commence to be cut 

 for use about the end of May or early in June. These may also 

 (as is usually the practice with market-gardeners) be sown, where 

 the crop is to stand, about the end of February, among other 

 vegetables growing in pure compost, or in soil covered with a thick 

 layer of compost. In this case the small varieties should be grown, 

 as being less likely to interfere with the other vegetables among 

 which they are sown. 



The spring varieties, especially the Crisped and Tennis-ball 

 kinds {Laitue Crepe and L. Gotte), are those which are used for forcing. 

 These two kinds, and especially the Black-seeded Crisped (Z. Crepe d 

 Graine Noire) are sown in October in hot-beds, and are entirely 

 grown either in frames or under bell-glasses. The last-named kind 

 (the petite noire'' of the Paris market-gardeners) has the peculiarity 

 of being able to grow almost entirely without air, so that it can be 

 quickly raised with the help of a little artificial heat. The Tennis- 

 ball is a more productive kind, but requires fresh air to be admitted 



from time to time. The 

 sowings made in frames 

 during winter may be 

 finished off by a sowing 

 made on the hot-beds 

 with the frames and lights 

 removed. The plants thus 

 raised, and not trans- 

 planted, will come in some 

 days earlier than the first 

 of those planted out in 

 the open air. 



Milly Forcing Lettuce 

 ( White-seeded), — Does as 

 well under glass in winter 

 as in open culture during 

 summer. The head is large, solid, and light green, much tinged 

 with russet on the top and sometimes on the sides. It resembles 

 closely the old Red-edged Victoria Lettuce, but is larger and is 

 quicker to head. Sown in the autumn, and planted out under 



Milly Forcing Cabbage Lettuce. 



