Vegetable Growing in Colorado. 17 
or cutting lettuce. The latter will probably give more general sat¬ 
isfaction in this climate. 
Soil and Climate .—Lettuce is a comparatively hardy plant and 
grows best in the cooler parts of the growing season. A rich, well 
drained, sandy soil is best, but the crop can be grown on heavier 
soils. 
Planting .—For the early crop the seed can be planted in the 
greenhouse or hotbed in March and transplanted to cold frames 
when large enough, or the seed may be planted directly in cold 
frames the latter part of March and when the plants are up, they 
are thinned to the proper distance apart. In cold frames, the 
plants should stand about eight inches apart each way. Plants may 
be set in the field the latter part of April, and in this case the rows 
should be eighteen inches apart and the plants six to eight inches 
apart in the row. Lettuce transplants readily and if properly han¬ 
dled the plants will be only slightly checked. 
Cultivation .—Lettuce which grows rapidly without being 
checked possesses the best texture and flavor, so the aim of the 
grower should be to cultivate the crop in a way to obtain this re¬ 
sult. Transplanting should be carefully done and the plants given 
surface culture frequently during the growing period. The sur¬ 
face of the soil should be kept as dry as possible at all times, though 
the roots of the plants must not be deprived of the proper moisture. 
Lettuce is very susceptible to disease and particularly so when the 
surface of the soil and the foliage of the plants are kept moist. In 
applying water, precautions should be taken to keep the leaves from 
getting wet and this is especially important when the crop is grown 
in greenhouses, hotbeds, or cold frames. 
Forcing Lettuce .—Lettuce is the most uniformly profitable 
vegetable that is grown under glass. It can be found on the mar¬ 
ket of large cities at all seasons of the year. When grown in green¬ 
houses the plants are commonly set in solid beds slightly raised 
above the general level of the floor of the greenhouse. The plants 
are started in flats and when large enough to handle, are trans¬ 
planted to other flats or small pots in order to give them more 
room. They are later transplanted into the permanent beds, being 
set about eight to ten inches apart each way. Great care must be 
used in watering to keep the leaves dry and not allow the surface 
of the soil to become too wet. By using a deep soil containing a 
large per cent of sand and organic matter, trouble is avoided in 
growing lettuce under glass. A soil properly prepared will some¬ 
times produce a crop of lettuce in the greenhouse with one good 
watering. Sub-irrigation, by which water is applied beneath the 
surface, is often used to advantage in greenhouses. This method 
