Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-09-23
MERANDPLANTER
FOR THE TRUCK FARMERS.
A Chapter On the Fall, Winter and
Spring Lettuce Crop on Ia
Southern Truck Farms.

Southern Truck Farms.
The cultivation OF lettuce In frames
covered either with cloth or glass has
developed into a vast industry in the
South Atlantic trucking sections, and
the North Carolina station horticulture
list has ~endeavored 10 study not only
methods but the varieties best adapted
10 the use Of the market gardeners al
the different seasons. In this region,
favored with q mild winter climate, the
growers are fast Tearing that with a
little protection they can produce as
fine lettuce as can be grown in the
northern h%othouses, and the crop has
become one of the leading interests.
One of the growers recently wrote
asking Inc the following questions:
What variety is best for setting in
the open ground in the fall? | want
a big, heavy headed variety that is a
good seller in the northern markets,
Then | want a lettuce for the frames,
and one for the spring market from
outside"
Another grower writes that he is
growing frame lettuce only and has
now his frames filled with COW peas,
which he proposes TO let lie down and
spade them in as a fertilzer, and
wants to know II they will not serve in
place of stable manur If he adds
plenty of the mineral fertilizers. As
this is a matter Of general interest |
will, after having given both my ideas
on the subject, say more for the pur-
pose of helping others.
My first inquirer does not say
whether he wants to set the lettuce for
fall heading in the open ground or for
wintering in the field and heading in
the spring, This will make quite a
difference in the varieties. Seed of the
Big Boston, or the California Cream
Butter Lettuce sown about the middle
of August thinly broadcast, can be set
in wcll-manured and fortified soil and
h'hUtu ntlblt INV N'd't'l 10 A'i'
enough to need the protection of the
frames, and this crop, coming in in No
vember and carly December, Is usually
a very profitable once, since the cost Of
growing is far less where the frames
arc used.
But one thing is needed to be
Enauu hH oil ICttuTp rrNurprg Thia iy
that the plant is a very gross feeder
and must be well fed for the best re-
suits. The most careful experiments
at this and other experiments stations
have shown that either in the open
ground, in frames and in h%othouses,
manure alone will not make the best
lettuce, nor will common fertilizers
alone. The slow nitrification of the or
ganlc matter supplied by the manure
seems to be necessary, while the read
lily soluble commercial fertilizer is also
needed to push the growth. The most
successful growers have found this on
as well as the station investigators.
For a number Of years | have been
studying under numerous difficulties
and with meager facilities the charac-
teristics of the varieties of lettuce. |
have learned that there are compare
lively few sorts that are Of value 10
the growers in the south for the north
ern market. The catalogues of the
seedsmen come annually with the best
of lettuces, and claim that they are 60
ing to supersede all others. But one
after another we have tried them, much
TO our personal loss, for our expert
ments were made at our W cost, and
We hoped to get something out of the
crops We have found, however, that
for early heading in the fall, and for
winter and early spring heading in the
frames, there are no varieties equal to
the two we have named. But when II
comes to setting plants in the field late
in the fall to head outside in the spring,
these varieties will be failures and 9th.
er sorts that do not compare with these
in the frames are better.
The two varieties named are more
tender and are apt to get injured or
killed by sever weather, and ever
when they do survive the winter they
bolt and run 10 seed in the spring with
out heading firmly enough for shipping.
But fortunately we have varieties that
are especially adapted 10 the needs of
the fall planter for spring heading. The
been bred up near Raleigh and there
known as the Shellem. This variety is
known in the catalogues as the Won
derful. 1t is the largest and hardest
heading of all lettuccs, but is of little
value for winter work in the frames.
But it is more hardy that the butter
varieties. Similar TO this is the Maule's
Improved Hanson. This variety was
originally sent out by Col. George
Hanson, of Kent county, Mary
land, in whose family it has been grown
for generations. II Is similar in ap-
rcarance to the Wonderful, hut not
quite so large, and It Is rather too
brittle to make a good shipper. While
for the fall heading we would advise
the sowing of the Big Boston and Cali
fornia Cream Butter lettuce in August,
this will not do for the crop that is to
be wintered over in the open ground,
| advise thin broadcast sowing of all,
because when sown in rows we are al
ways apt to get the plants crowded,
while thin broadcasting, using plenty
Of space, we get sturdy plants each
grown by itself and better suited to
transplanting, For setting in the open
ground | would SOW seed of the Won
derful first about the middle of Sep
and again about the first of
October, as the eason may be such
that the first sowing may get too large,
and We want good plants, just large
enough to winter we'll. For this crop
| would prepare the land well, and run
burrows two feet apart, II for lettuce
alone, or wider If 1t is intended to set
tue lettuoe pctWceH tne 'doDdSe pIdHlS
set at the same time. These burrows
should be filled with well-decayed sta
BILE manure, and if the land has had a
crop of peas grown on 1t and buried
when ripe in the blowing, all the better.
On the manure In the burrows | would
use a h%igh-grade complete fertilizer,
made by mixing 300 pounds Of acid
phosphate, 700 pounds of fish scrap and
400 pounds of muriate of potash to
make a tone. and would use not less