HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING 
LETTUCE ON THE PACIFIC COAST 
T HIS is one of the most eminently satisfactory gar- 
den crops on the Pacific Coast, which is responsible 
for the Golden State being the largest producer of lettuce 
seed in the world. Where heat and moisture are moderate 
lettuce may be enjoyed the year around right out of the 
garden. Seeds may be sown from earliest spring, through- 
out summer and winter. Where the rainfalls are heavy, 
it is customary to sow the seeds on a raised bed in a well- 
drained situation. From this bed plants are trans- 
planted whenever space becomes available in any part 
of the garden. 
In most gardens in the interior valleys and bottoms, 
lettuce is sown in rows, thinned out, and transplanted as 
described on pages 21 2-213. During the hot summer 
months, it appreciates frequent irrigation. If some shade 
can be provided by means of lath screens or by planting 
the rows along the shady side of tall-growing vegetables, 
the heads will stand longer before bursting. 
219 
