August 22nd, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
809 
Bigarreau de Florence, while Dr. Hogg, in The Fruit 
Manual , recognizes the name of Florence only, and 
gives as a synonym Knevett’s Late Bigarreau, under 
which name it was grown at Chiswick in 1842, when 
Robert Thompson compiled The Catalogue of Fruits 
Cultivated, in the Garden of the Horticultural Society 
of London. The fruit is large and heart-shaped, the 
skin smooth, pale yellow, and very bright red on the 
sunny side ; the flesh white and firm, and of sweet, 
delicious flavour. The tree is distinct in its habit of 
growth, being what is termed a strong, loose grower, 
producing a few spreading shoots, which, when 
established, become studded with fruit spurs. It has 
the merit of being a great and certain bearer, and as 
such deserves more extended recognition. 
The usual practice is to lift the Lettuce plants from 
the open ground and plant them in frames, and I have 
assisted to move some hundreds of them year after 
year during October and November. Yet again and 
again, by February or March scarcely a few leaves 
could be got together for a salad. From the time the 
Lettuces were moved, they invariably grew less instead 
of bigger, and more than one-half would succumb to 
damp. Others may have been more fortunate in their 
experience of this system, indeed we may fairly 
assume that they must have been, or they would 
ere now have directed their attention to a less laborious 
and more certain plan. When the duty of supplying 
Lettuce during winter was forced upon me, I procured 
a number of shallow two-light frames, and all the 
the sides, and by increasing the covering, Endive has 
stood 20 degs. of frost without sustaining any injury. 
To provide a supply of Lettuce from January on¬ 
wards, they are planted in frames close to the glass, 
during the month of September and part of October, 
from successional sowings. Frames that have been 
used for Melons or Cucumbers are seldom to our 
liking, as they are in the first place too flat; so we 
throw the soil out, raise the frame at the back on 
three or four bricks, and pack some litter under it, 
as well as filling the frame with any half-decayed 
material to within 8 ins. of the top, which should be 
filled with some of the soil which has been thrown 
out. If left for a few days it will sink sufficiently to 
allow space for the plants. The lights are not put on 
THE FLOEENCE CHEEKY. 
LETTUCES AND ENDIVE. 
It is only those who have had to provide a con¬ 
tinuous sujrply of Lettuce during the winter months 
that have any appreciable idea of the difficulties that 
beset the grower. In most establishments they are 
more or less in demand, but it is not always that they 
are forthcoming. It was once my lot to have to pro¬ 
vide Lettuces daily, and the family arrangements were 
such that scarcely a day passed from October to April 
that a salad was not required, either for luncheon or 
dinner, and as neither Endive, Cabbage Lettuce, nor 
Chicory were admitted as component parts of the 
salad, the task was rendered still more difficult. 
Cooks, as a rule, are partial to Endive for this pur¬ 
pose, but in this exceptional instance, it was the taste 
of the employer that had to be considered and not the 
fancy of the chef, the salad being made to eat and not 
so much for ornamentation. 
Lettuces planted during September were so arranged 
on the ground that the frames could be placed over 
them. At first they were placed on four bricks, with 
the view of admitting a continuous supply of air at a 
time when the lights might be on to carry off heavy 
rains, as I concluded that I should be able to preserve 
them in frosty weather better than if they happened 
to be in a soddened condition. During sharp frosts 
the frames were let down and some protecting material 
placed round them as well as on the glass Some¬ 
thing like 700 or 800 plants were treated in this 
manner, and scarcely one was lost. 
Our present arrangement is to plant both Lettuces 
and Endive in such a manner that we can protect 
a sufficient number of the former to last well into 
January, by placing lights over them without frames. 
In frosty weather a slight covering of litter is thrown 
over the glass, as well as some placed to hang over 
except in frosty weather, or to protect them from 
heavy rains. The latest have been before now has¬ 
tened along by placing a lining round the frames, and 
keeping the lights close unless an excess of moisture 
accumulated in the interior. With the increase of 
light and sun-heat during March and April, as ■well 
as the stimulating influence of the heat from the 
linings, the plants will bear this partial confinement 
with immunity, and it is surprising the rapidity with 
which they form leaves, which if loosely tied will 
become blanched in the centre. If, in passing through 
this semi-forcing process, there are indications of 
them becoming unduly distended at the collar, more 
air must be given. 
Lettuces are indispensable to the salad-bowl and 
are in request long before they are ready outside, 
and in some seasons in many localities they are 
destroyed by frost, so that the cultivator will be. 
