18 



NORFOLK TRUCKING 



When this method is followed the farmer usually divides 

 his plantation into two equal parts, on one of which he plants 

 lettuce and on the other parsley. Prior to planting these 

 crops, the ground is formed into beds or plats eight feet or 

 nine feet wide on which the seed is sown in rows ten inches 

 apart. Some growers follow the practice of sowing the let- 

 tuce seed in beds early in August and transplanting once or 

 twice before finally shifting them to the larger beds where 

 the heads are to mature, but others sow the seed in place and 

 thin to a stand. The parsley seed is usually sown where the 

 crop is to remain during the winter. If the lettuce is sown 

 in place it is thinned so that the individual plants stand about 

 twelve inches apart in the rows. About a month before it is 

 expected to harvest the lettuce, spinach is planted between 

 the rows on alternating beds. As soon as the lettuce on these 

 beds is ready, it is carefully harvested and the ground is 

 given over entirely to the spinach crop. The lettuce on the 

 other beds is harvested when mature and the beds are im- 

 mediately prepared for beets. Prior to planting the beet 

 seed, cold frames are constructed over these beds. The cold 

 frames are made by placing two parallel rows of boards six 

 feet apart over the beds and covering them with three by 

 six hotbed sash. The beet seeds are sown in the frames 

 about the middle of December. The beets should be ready 

 for the early spring market. The spinach is grown without 

 any protection whatever. When it is harvested in March, 

 the ground is plowed preparatory to transplanting cucum- 

 bers. As soon as the season is sufficiently advanced and dan- 

 ger of severe frosts has passed, the cold frames are removed 

 from the beet beds and placed over the beds that are after- 

 wards to contain the cucumber plants. The cucumber plants 

 are started in hotbeds about a month before it is expected 

 to transplant them to the cold frames. As soon as the season 

 will admit, the cucumbers are carefully removed from the 

 hotbeds and transplanted to cold frames. The beets are 

 soon harvested and sold on the early spring market as bunch 

 beets. As the season advances the cucumbers are given ven- 

 tilation until finally the cold frames are removed and the cu- 

 cumbers are allowed to occupy the entire space. The cucum- 



