THE OLD GARDENER reminds you 
LETTUCE is the Number One salad crop. And the 
kind you can grow at home—really crisp, fresh leaf 
lettuce—is the lettuce every master chef sighs for 
and can’t get. As soon as you can dig, plant a row 
of Black Seeded Simpson or Simpson's Early Curled. 
Or if you prefer head lettuce, you 
can grow Big Boston, the butter- 
head full-flavored kind the market 
grower can’t supply because it 
doesn't ship well. 
Hot weather is 
hard on most 
head lettuce, but 
try Great Lakes 
—you'll be sur- 
prised how well 
it grows and how 
slowly it bolts to 
seed, and you'll 
be 
uae OP 
with its good crisphead flavor. 
Remember that lettuce is a fast- 
growing, rich feeding crop. Give it 
plenty of water. And use your 
compost or well- 
rotted manure 
liberally on the 
lettuce row. A 
light sprinkling 
of nitrate of soda 
will pay, too, be- 
cause lettuce 
thrives on lots of 
nitrogen. 
delig hted The lettuce varieties illustrated here are: 
1—Prizehead; 2—Iceberg; 3—Romaine. 
ENDIVE 
Sow at intervals for continuous supply. 
When well started, transplant or thin 
to 1‘ apart. To blanch, tie outer leaves 
together over the center when plant is 
nearly grown. Just before killing frosts 
in fall, dig the plants, taking plently of 
soil with roots—pack closely together 
and store in dark cellar for winter use. 
Broad-Leaved Batavian or Escarole— 
Large broad leaves forming immense 
round plants up to 16 in. across. Easily 
blanched. 90 days. 
Full Heart Batavian—An improved and 
earlier Escarole. Large leaf, thick head. 
Leaves crisp and tender. 88 days. 
Large Green Curled or Giant Fringed 
Oyster—Leaves large. Finely cut and 
curled. Rich green color but blanches 
to a creamy white. 65 days. 
KALE OR BORECOLE 
Requires moist, well enriched soil. Pick 
leaves as wanted, or pull whole plant. 
Leaves are best after a frost. 
Dwarf Green Curled—Hardy, large and 
very attractive bright, deep green. 100 
days. 
Dwarf Siberian—Hard and productive. 
Bluish green foliage. Leaves large and 
spreading. 65 days. 
KOHLRABI 
Sow early as possible in light, rich soil. 
When plants are in the third leaf, thin 
to. 6” apart. Plant at intervals of 10 
days for succession of bulbs until hot 
weather—atter which they do not grow. 
Use while still young and tender, 
before skin hardens. 
White Vienna Early (fr)—8 to 10-in. 
leaves on slender stems. Bulbs 2 to 3-in., 
globular, light green. Crisp, tender, 
clear white flesh. 55 to 60 days. Pkt. 
10c. 
LEEK 
Large American Flag—An early, pou- 
lar variety, with thick, long white stems. 
Leaves large and drooping, medium 
green. 130 days. Pkt. 10c. 
10 

LETTUCE 
Sow as soon as ground can be worked 
—or for extra early crops start indoors 
and transplant when danger of heavy 
frost is over. Repeat. sowing every 2 
weeks to insure continuous supply. For 
leaf lettuce, thin plants to 6 apart. 
For head lettuce, thin to 8’ spacing, 
in rows 18” apart. Lettuce grows best 
and heads best in cool, moist weather. 
Head 
Bibb—Early, small headed lettuce of 
excellent quality and flavor. Perfect for 
home gardens. Very smooth, dark green 
leaves, bleaching to a rich yellow. 
Big Boston or Mammoth Boston—Pop- 
ular for cold frame forcing and outside 
culture. Medium, compact heads with 
creamy yellow heart. Smooth, glossy 
leaves, edges wavy, and slightly tinged 
with reddish brown. 75 days. 
Iceberg—Late, large variety. Compact 
heads, crumpled, crisp and sweet. 
Leaves light green, slightly brown on 
edges. 85 days. 
Great Lakes—All-America award. An 
outstanding new Iceberg or Crisp-head 
type. A summer lettuce that stands heat 
well and is very resistant to tip burn. 
Heads medium size, solid, crisp. 
New York No. 12—The standard crisp- 
head lettuce. Large globular shaped 
head, dark green with blanched, silvery 
white heart. Successfully grown out- 
doors spring, summer and fall. 85 days. 
Loose Leafed Varieties 
Black Seeded Simpson — Light green, 
frilled and crumpled. 45 days. 
Bronze Beauty — All-America Bronze 
Medal winner, 1947. An entirely new 
type of leaf lettuce, tender, crisp, with 
an unusual nut-like flavor. Leaves are 
long, neatly arched, with deeply lobed 
and scalloped margins. Delightfully dif- 
ferent in color, a warm, ruddy bronze 
sheen over soft green undertone. Easy 
and quick to grow in the home garden. 
40 days. 
Chicken—Produces largest amount of 
leaves of any lettuce. Fast-growing. 
For poultry and rabbit feeding. 40 days. 
Grand Rapids—Erect, compact, plants. 
Light green, broad heavily fringed. For 
forcing or early planting outside. 43 
days. 
€@ In bulk at money-saving prices. | 
Special quotations to market gardeners. 
Prices subject to change without notice. 

Oakleaf—The most popular leaf lettuce 
for home gardens. Rick, dark green 
leaves, tender and delicious. Outstand- 
ing resistance to hot weather. 
Prize Head — Early non-heading sort. 
Medium sized plants, crisp and tender. 
Color light brown on a medium green 
base. Leaves frilled at edges, and 
crumpled. 47 days. 
Simpson’s Early Curled — Also called 
Early Curled Silesia. Early, hardy and 
dependable. Non-heading. Leaves large 
frilled, crumpled, light green; form a 
compact bunch at center. 45 days. 
Cos or Romaine 
Dark Green Cos—Self folded loaf- 
shaped head. White leaves with faint 
tinge of green. Very crisp. 84 days. 
White Paris or Trianon—Medium large 
solf-folding, dark green, loaf-shaped 
heads. Greenish-white, well blanched 
interior. 66 days. 
MANGEL WURZEL 
Mammoth Long Red—Very popular, 30 
to 50 tons per acre. Roots grow half 
above the ground. Light red, flesh white 
with rose tinge. 110 days. 

MELONS 
Requires long season to develop and is 
easily injured by frost, or even by cool 
weather. Before planting, spade in lib- 
eral forkful of well rotted manure in 
each hill. Thin plants to 4 per hill after 
third leaf develops, and train vines in 
different directions. Cultivate as long 
as possible. On moist ground use shin- 
gles to hold melons off ground to pre- 
vent rotting. 
Muskmelon and Cantaloupe 
Bender’s Surprise—Improved Surprise, 
similar to Tip Top. Coarse netted 7-lb., 
oblong fruit, distinctly ribbed, hard 
greenish-yellow skin. Flesh bright sal- 
mon. 95 days. 
Hale’s Best No. 45—Flesh thick, deep 
salmon-pink, sweet and tasty. Heavily 
netted rind, with faint stripe. Small seed 
cavity. Outstanding variety, resistant to 
powdery mildew. Weight, 4 lbs. 86 
days. 
