The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-28
Mustard and Lettuce.

q Higgins Belwood, n. C-"When IS
tb. nroner time TO SOW mustard and let
.,,... IN he fall for early use in the spring?
r4rr. shall ! prepare the beds? Please
.u-..r IA the P F. We have never sown
mustard in the fall, but generally among
the first things IN the spring, as the fresh
Growth is far better. For winter and
,fr.ug greens We SOW Round Seeded spin
.b Tr~t. the last OF August, and again
the middle of September in rows wide
arougb- Tor cultivation. This Is cut All
through the winter, and makes the best of
hoIcI green's. We also SOW some Green
tLred Scotch kale In September in the
same way for cutting n winter and early
-rrJng Lettuce is the main salad crop
arovn and : now one of the most impSI~
tant crops grown by the truckers IN East
ern North Carolina TOR Northern markets
during fall winter and spring Most of the
market growers use frames about II feet
WIDE protected by cotton cloth rolled up
and down like awnings, and IN this way
get very taIr crops. Far better lettuce
however, can be produced in the ordinary
cold frames with glass sashcs and straw
mats Tor extra protection in very cold
Weather. for while unheaded will survive
our winters IN the central and eastern part
o the state. 1t is very easily spoiled by
hard feeling after it is headed, and much
DAMAGE X often done when snow happens
to (: on the c9Cth covered frames
and ], followed by severe cold. We man
age to have weli-headed lettuce without
break from November to May in the
following way: The first sewing Is OF the
Bic Boston lettuce the latter part Of
August The seed Is scattered broadcast
on amy convenient ground in the garden
thn|y for if sOWn IN rows IN beds we
are always apt to get them too much
crowded. while thinly sown broadcast we
cen get stout single pants II we only SOW
an abundance of seed. These early plants
are set IN frames a loot apart each way
in soil made very ricn with old rotten
manure supplemented with a complete fer
thZer rich IN potash at rate of 1000 lbs.
per acre. Neither manure alone nor fertil-
Ter alone VIII make the finest heads OF let
turr. The early soWn plants are fully eN-
posed to the weather until 1t threatens
to freeze hard, when cloth Is drawn over
the frames at night, and .ne crop heads
late IL November and INTO December
usually lasting to about Christmas. A sec
end sowing OF Big Boston IS made about
tie first oI October and the plants are set
IA rames that are to be protected by cloth
only when the weather Is extra cod, the
OBJECT beng TO Just keep them talrly alive
1Or heading IN March. In meantime an
other sowing of BIG Boston Is made the
mddIc OF Deccmber, and IN November
these plants are SET IN the frames that
are to be covered with glass in winter. The
s'd~N Is put on as soon as the nights
STOW c0ld, and when extra cold weather
threatens mats are placed over the glass
Ill night TO completely exclude the frost.
Inns lettuce Il cut all through the winter
until March. \ fourth sowing Is made IN
the frames under glass about first Of
feorudrE. This time We use the Wonder
Io- These plants are set IN well enriched
lama II March IN the open ground, and
mead III April and May, and as TINS let
luce at that season makes immense heads
IL rs often the most profitable crop OF
'lE Many OIL our market growers who use
co-h only DO not attempt TO have lettuce
ILL january and February, as they say
lldJ lhey cannot then compete with the
IIorIda lettuce. But il they used glass
ana mats they could send to market far
'1tDef lettuce, and III better condition than
'-e FIoFlda crop, and would compete with
'le hot-house lettuce of the North 1n
Your section of the State, which Is much
colder than the eastern section, you can
s''# lettuce during the winter IN glass
covered frames or you can SOW in Septem-
ge' and simply protect the plants in
frames with cloth during the cold wealth
q, and have them head IN the spring.
TUT ms purpose you Will find the Won
.sIIul lettuce the best, but it is of no doe
-o ml-"uter forcing