March 1908.] 



213 



Edible Products. 



that the plants were set in the tobacco 

 house, the same varieties were planted 

 in the open field. On January 19, 1905, 

 the beds were examined and the follow- 

 ing results were noted. On the east and 

 south of the frame, where the plants 

 were exposed to the direct rays of the 

 sun for more than half of each day, the 

 rows of plants next to the outer side of 

 the frame, or where there was only from 

 three to four feet of space between the 

 ground and the cloth, were the poorest. 

 There was a very matked difference 

 between these plants and the ones grown 

 where the distance from the ground to 

 the cloth was from seven to eight feet. 

 A marked graduation in the size of the 

 plants was very noticeable, the largest 

 heads being where the distance from the 

 ground to the cloth was the greatest, and 

 the rows becoming smaller and poorer as 

 they approached outside of the bed. The 

 plants along the north side, where 

 there was a more uniform effect of the 

 sun, were practically all of the same 

 size. 



The results as to the yield of good 

 heads and as to quality were no better 

 and with many varieties not so good as 

 in the case of the plants grown in the 

 open field. 



The results showed very clearly that 

 conditions under tobacco cloth are not 

 suitable for lettuce culture. The lettuce 

 under shade produced a larger percentage 

 of poor soft heads. There was also a ten- 

 dency for the heads to run to seed more 

 quickly than when in the open field. 

 The rot (Botrytis vulgaris, Fr.) was 

 much more marked than in field-grown 

 plants. • 



Harvesting and Packing.— Lettuce 

 for market should not be cut until the 

 heads are fully grown, whether it is 

 of the loose or the cabbage-headed varie- 

 ties. The loose-headed sorts may be 

 used for the home table as soon as the 

 leaves become large enough to cut. 

 "With the cabbage-headed varieties it is 

 very different, and they are not ready to 

 cut until the heads become firm and 

 solid. The inner leaves should be well 

 blanched so as to be tender and crisp. 

 In cutting lettuce it should be handled 

 very carefully so as not to break or tear 

 the leaves any more than is possible. As 

 soon as it is cut it should be taken to the 

 packing house so as to prevent wilting 

 f rom the sun. 



It is a good plan to sort the heads 

 according to size and firmness. Each 

 head should be carefully washed and the 

 outer leaves that are soiled should be 

 removed. 



28 



There is no standard package to be 

 used, but for local markets or short dis- 

 tance shipments some form of cheap 

 basket holding from five to eight dozen 

 heads is the most common. For long 

 distance shipment a large crate or a 

 barrel is usually used. A central parti- 

 tion is usually put into a large package 

 so as to relieve the weight. In packing, 

 the outer leaves should be wrapped up 

 around the Uead so as to afford as much 

 protection to the inner part as possible. 

 Place the heads carefully but very 

 firmly in the package, so that they will 

 shift as little as possible in transit. It is 

 very difficult to pack lettuce so that it 

 will carry well, as it is so loose and spongy 

 that unless great care is taken it will 

 arrive on the market in poor shape. 



Test of Varieties.— During the past 

 season forty -three varieties were tested. 

 Many of the varieties have done exceed- 

 ingly well here, some very fine lettuce 

 having been grown in our beds. 



For type standards and descriptions 

 we have followed the work as outlined 

 in American Varieties of Lettuce by 

 W. W. Tracy, Jr., Bulletin 69, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. 



TVPES AND THEIR VARIETIES RECOM- 

 MENDED for Planting in the 

 Home Garden. 



Butter Type, cabbage-heading. 

 Big Boston. 



Cold Frame White Cabbage. 

 California Cream Butter. 

 Tennis Ball Black-seeded, 



Butter Type, Bunching. 

 Oak Leaf. 



Crisp Type, Cabbage-Heading, 



Deacon. 



Iceberg, 



Mignonette. 



New York. 

 Crisp Type, Bunching. 



Black-seeded Simpson. 



White Star. 

 Cos Type, Self-closing. 



Dwarf White Heart Cos. 



Paris White Cos. 



For commercial purposes the following 

 varieties are the best : Hubbard Market, 

 Big Boston, California Cream Butter, 

 Tennis Ball Black-seeded, Deacon, Ice- 

 berg, and New York. — Estacion Central 

 Aqronomica de Cuba, Bulletin No. 8, 

 Sept. 1907. 



