54 



CROPS UNDER GLASS 



we call a black ash muck. There is more or less clay in it. 

 We have lightened that soil by adding a couple of inches of 

 3'ellow sand, which makes rather a light soil. Then with the 

 addition of large quantities of manure, it is a light soil. Orig- 

 inally the marsh was a typical swamp soil, partly clay. 



Mr. Work: That is more like the soil we find at the heads 

 of some of these lakes. We have a heavy, alluvial soil that is 

 black, though it is not muck. 



Mr. Zuck : For several years we grew our lettuce on the 

 natural soil, but we found it was too heavy. By adding that 

 sand, we think we made an ideal soil. 



Mr. Work : You still have some of the heavy element 

 there? What is the advantage of that? 



Mr. Zuck : It retains the moisture. Most of the large 

 lettuce plants are located on a wholly sandy soil, and the one 

 criticism I have of these soils is, they are too leachy. They 

 do not hold the plant food when heavy waterings are given, 

 and another point is this: A great many times when lettuce 

 is about half grown, we find that our soil has dried out if it 

 is a sandy soil; but if the soil is heavier, we can water when 

 the lettuce is not over half grown and that watering will 

 mature the crop, which saves pouring water on lettuce that 

 is nearly ready to cut. 



I believe also the heavier soil gives us lettuce of a thicker 

 leaf. I have compared notes with other men, particularly 

 Mr. Weinschenk of Newcastle, and his experience has been 

 the same as ours, that lettuce groAMi on a heavier soil is more 

 of the celery type or head lettuce type — thick leaves, very 

 tender — whereas lettuce gro^^m on a sandier soil makes more 

 of a light, loose-leaf growth. 



Professor Beal : Are these grown on the ground or on 

 benches ? 



Mr. Zuck : On ground beds. 



Mr. Work : I do not think you will find any large growers 

 today who grow their lettuce on benches. There are some 

 who advocate growing their tomatoes on benches, because they 

 can get them a little earlier. 



