How and what to grow in a kitchen garden of one acreDarlington, E. D.
Science
How and what to grow in a kitchen garden of one acre
Darlington, E. D.
Kitchen gardens; Vegetable gardening
Another way, and the easiest, to have a constant succession of lettuce
for the table throughout the season, is to sow the seed thickly in
drills and to cut the loose leaves close to the ground when it is three
or four inches high; this produces rather narrow leaves, which are very
tender and juicy, but which have not the substance of those grown as
separate plants or heads, and are not so easily prepared for the table.
These sowings can be made every few weeks, and a constant succession of
young leaves be had for use throughout the entire season. It should be
the object in sowing lettuce to plant small lots frequently, that it
may always be had in the best condition.
About the second week in September a sowing of some early hard-heading
variety should be made, and a succeeding one about the first of
October; from these two sowings the cold frames should be planted,
about one-third from the first and two-thirds from the second; the
plants should be set about six inches apart each way, which will allow
about fifty plants to each sash. When cold weather comes the sash
should be put on, and the outsides of the frames banked around with
long stable manure. The plants must be treated to plenty of fresh
air whenever the weather will permit of it, and on very cold nights
the sash should be reinforced with a covering of straw, old mats,
or carpet. The lettuce grown in these frames is apt to be infested
with the small insect known as the “Green Fly;” to prevent or to get
rid of the presence of this pest, tobacco refuse and sweepings from
a cigar-maker’s shop should be strewn on the soil under the leaves;
this will destroy the fly and act as a fertilizer, but if too much is
applied it will spoil the delicate flavor of the lettuce.
If a few very early cabbages are desired, the seed should be sown about
the first of October and transplanted with the lettuce into the cold
frames; planting them about two inches apart each way; if these are in
good condition and the spring favorable, they can be planted out about
the 15th of March, and will produce heads one to two weeks earlier than
those raised in the hotbeds.
VARIETIES OF LETTUCE.
BURPEE’S HARD-HEAD.--This is the fastest growing and the best
heading kind that I have ever grown. With this variety the ordinary
gardener is able to grow as fine, large, solid heads as those grown
by the professional market gardener. In shape it very much resembles
a cabbage, as even the outer leaves tend to curl in over the head,
instead of spreading outward, as in most lettuces. In appearance it is
quite novel and striking, the edges of the leaves being tinged with a
deep brownish-red, while in the centre of its hard heads the leaves
are blanched to a beautiful creamy white. In quality it is remarkably
tender, rich, juicy, and never bitter.
[Illustration: BURPEE’S HARD-HEAD LETTUCE.]
[Illustration: BURPEE’S TOMHANNOCK LETTUCE.]
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