37 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, April 21, 1857. 
SUMMER LETTUCES ON DRY, LIGHT SOILS. 
Few things baffle the cultivator more than Lettuces 
in a dry season on a shallow, dry soil. When both these 
evils have to be contended against it is most difficult 
to produce a good Lettuce; but by a modification of the 
one—the other being beyond our power—and attending 
to some useful points, there is a probability of a suc¬ 
cessful result. 
Dry, burning sands or gravels are especially unfitted 
for succulent summer vegetables like the Lettuce, the 
more so when the sandy or gravelly substratum is of a 
character obnoxious to vegetation, being often charged 
with some mineral substance of a deleterious nature, 
which it partly imparts to the surface soil when brought 
to the top, but which, nevertheless, is in time sweetened 
or otherwise rendered more agreeable to vegetation by 
exposure to the atmosphere. Stunted plants or weeds 
find a scanty subsistence upon it for a time, and 
eventually it becomes better adapted to tillage, but 
this is often the result of years; whereas the vegetable 
now before us requires a rich, moist soil, it being, in 
homely phrase, “ a gross feeder.” But those who wish 
to produce good Lettuces, and are willing to expend 
a little extra trouble in so doing, may effect their 
object by following out means something like the 
following:— 
1. Deepen and Improve the Soil by removing a 
portion of the hungry substratum, and introducing clay, 
marl, or stiff loam of an opposite nature to that existing 
at top. Let this be mixed with the surface soil, and 
some good, well-rotted dung likewise. At the same 
time let there be a sufficient quantity of the original 
surface soil kept at the top to start the plants with; and 
although rough, clayey, or loamy lumps will not at once 
blend with loose, sandy soil, yet, by their being mixed 
with some sort of soil that is good, the roots will find 
their way downwards in this medium, and also cling 
around the lumps alluded to, which contain the much- 
wanted moisture, and the plants will thereby have a 
much larger scope of root room than when grown in the 
ordinary surface soil of the place. 
2. Sow the Plants where they are to Remain.— 
This must also be attended to, and in the hot, dry 
summer months a little shading with boughs, nets, or 
other things will be necessary to insure the germina¬ 
tion of the seed. Shading is the more requisite if water¬ 
ing be resorted to, and, however homely the means 
made use of, anything is better than leaving the ground 
to be scorched up by the sun. In sowing, shallow drills 
about fifteen inches apart will be found best, and the seed 
ought to be sown thinly; but it is absolutely necessary 
to their well-doing to thin them liberally, and very early 
too; and if it be requisite to plant a few any way, let 
that be done when the plants are just sufficiently 
large to handle, as when older they are liable to run 
to seed. 
3. Applying Water. —This is a delicate affair, and is 
often productive of evil. Cold, hard, well water is at 
times bad, and when no other can be had let it stand 
some hours in the sun before using, in order to warm 
and soften it. Generally apply some guano, dung, or 
other manure, which will feed as well as refresh the 
plants it is administered to. 
4. Time for Watering. —Some difference of opinion 
exists on this point; but I see no reason for departing 
from the old rule of doing it in the evening, except in 
those cases where a little haze or slight rain indicates that 
there will not be much fall. In that case watering may 
be applied with a certainty of its being at the most natural 
time. Regular waterings ought not to be given unless 
you have reason to believe the ground to be full of roots, 
and the plants thereby in much the artificial condition 
of potted ones. A good soaking in a dull, damp day will, 
however, usually last several days, and ought to be adopted 
in preference to dribblings. It is also proper to observe 
that the manure water may be increased in strength as 
the plants grow, so that at last the doses may be tolerably 
strong; for, as I have before observed, this plant is a 
gross feeder, and, when grown in a situation like the one 
in question, is much the creature of artificial means, and 
must be fed accordingly. 
It should be observed here that in soils of this class 
a judicious mode of deepening the tillage for each 
succeeding crop is attended with benefit; but where the 
substratum is of a healthy, though poor material, it 
would be as well to trench it two feet deep at once. Re¬ 
moving the stones some depth, and leaving the residue 
some twenty inches or more deep is attended with great 
benefit, and this depth being maintained by after tillage, 
healthy, good vegetables may be grown. Such soils often 
require replenishing with manure either in a solid or 
liquid form. Where manure is plentiful good crops may 
generally be had in ordinary summers, and in hard 
winters there is a great advantage attending such soils. 
Plants upon them stand the winter better, and slugs are 
less numerous here than in other soils. 
I ought, also, to have said, that in very hot seasons 
Cabbage Lettuces are less likely to run to seed than the 
more favourite Cos varieties#' A few of both may be 
sown, and let these sowings be frequent, and be sure 
the seed is new, seedlings from old seed having a 
| greater tendency to run than those from new seed. 
I There are many good kinds of Cabbage Lettuce under 
the names of Drumhead , Tennis Ball , Malta , &c., all of 
more or less merit. J. Robson. 
IMPLEMENTS CONNECTED WITH THE GAR¬ 
DEN AND HOUSEHOLD EXHIBITED AT 
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S 
SHOW. 
The following were exhibited by Messrs. W. Dray and 
j Co., of Swan Lane, Upper Thames Street. We may as 
! well observe that many other implements were at the 
j stands of these manufacturers, and at the stands of other 
1 manufacturers, besides those implements of which we 
I publish drawings; but we only publish those which 
! especially attracted our notice. 
One-row Garden Drill. 
This is capable of being used for any kind of seed. 
There are also single-row drills for sowing small seeds, 
portable manures, Ac. 
