378 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



Brown Stonehead, or Blockhead, Lettuce {White- seeded) 

 The leaves in the young plant light green, streaked with brown 

 towards the edges and slightly crimped, rounded, and somewhat 

 recurving. In the full-grown plant the outer leaves are large, 



crimped, and tinged brown ; 

 the head green, marked 

 with bronze - coloured 

 blotches, which are most 

 conspicuous on the crimp- 

 ings. It is a splendid 

 summer Lettuce, heading 

 promptly and not very apt 

 to run to seed. 



Marvel, or Red Besson, 

 Cabbage Lettuce {Black- 

 seeded). — Young plant of 



Brown Stonehead, or Blockhead, Cabbage Lettuce. vigorOUS growth, tinged all 



over with brownish red ; 

 leaves short, almost round, very entire, with the edges turned up in 

 a kind of spoon shape. The plant is easily recognised from its 

 earliest age by its colour. The full-grown plant is stout and rather 

 thick-set, and of rapid growth. Head rounded, slightly flattened on 

 the top, where it is deeply tinged with bright red, which contrasts 

 in a striking manner with the very pale tint of those parts of the 

 plant which are not exposed to the sun. The outer leaves are 

 similarly coloured with red on the exposed parts. All the leaves 

 are rounded in outline, more or less undulated, and coarsely 

 crimped here and there. This is the most highly coloured of all 

 the Lettuces which are commonly grown about Paris, and is of a 

 still deeper red than the old variety known as the Roitge Chart7'euse. 

 The plant is about i ft. in 

 diameter. This variety may 

 be grown almost all the year 

 round, as one of its French 

 names indicates, but it does 

 best in spring and summer. 

 The head forms very quickly 

 and keeps firm for a long 

 time, even in very hot 

 weather. 



Improved Spotted 

 Cabbage Lettuce {Laitue 

 Sanguine Ainelio?re) {^White-seeded). — Young plant marked with 

 very small and fine red spots and streaks ; .leaves rounded, entire, 

 undulated or folded. In the central leaves the green colour 

 disappears altogether under the numerous small red-brown spots 



Marvel, or Red Besson, Cabbage Lettuce. 



