Laitue. Lattichsalat.

No. 800. - Lettuce is a hardy annual plant of Asiatic origin, and is always grown from seed. It may be had at all seasons of the year, but its quality is not always the same. There is no vegetable more generally used than Lettuce, yet few people know how appetizing it is when brought to the table fresh and in an unwilted condition. It ranks as one of the best green salads, and is much used with chicken and other salads. Lettuce is also used as a vegetable prepared the same as spinach, and when stuffed, and is used as a garniture for soups and meats. There are a number of varieties of Lettuce.

Culture

No. 801. - The quality of Lettuce depends largely upon rapid and vigorous growth, and to secure that we need very rich, mellow soil, frequent surface cultivation, and an abundant supply of water. For the earliest crop sow the seed under glass, in March, and thin out the plants to prevent crowding. If you intend to mature the plants under glass, keep the beds quite close, and water it frequently and abundantly with liquid manure, and keep it well shaded during sunny days. If the plants are to be set in the open ground, give them all the air possible, without freezing them, and harden them off by full exposure and the withdrawal of water before transplanting. The plants should be set out as soon as a warm spot can be made very rich and mellow. When they are set out, sow the seeds in drills, fourteen inches apart, and thin them out, as wanted for the table, until they stand eighteen inches apart. Hoe them frequently, and water them when dry. The Cos varieties should be tied up about ten days before using, in order to blanch the inner leaves.

Early Tennis Ball

No. 802. - This is the best variety of head Lettuce for growing under glass, being very hardy and having thick, crisp, and tender leaves. It forms a compact head under glass, but when in the open air, unless planted very early, it is liable to be loose and open.

Black Seeded Simpson

No. 803. - The leaves of this variety are very large and form a compact mass, rather than a distinct head. They are of superior quality, being thin and tender, and of a light green color. Their color prevents any wilting of the plant being noticed, and as a consequence, it is a popular market variety.

Simpson Early Curled

No. 804. - This is one of the best early varieties for family use. All of the leaves tend to produce a large loose head. The leaves are dark green, beautifully crimped, and are tender and crisp.

Early Boston Curled

No. 805. - This variety has numerous large dark green leaves, that grow close together, the edges being deeply frilled, so that the whole plant forms around mass, closely resembling a bunch of moss.

Early Prize Head (Ferry's)

No. 806. - This is the best Lettuce known. It forms a mammoth hardy plant, of which even the outer leaves are crisp and tender, remaining so throughout the season. It is slow to run up to seed. Its flavor is delicious, and it is much used in soups, etc.