The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-11-09
A MARKETABLE CROP.
/ lettuce as a Crop for the Southern
Market Gardener.

| Lettuce is one of the Oldest vege-
| tables, having been grown for many
centuries. 1t is one of the crops OF
the Northern truck farmer. Here In
the South it is considered more OF a
delicacy than staple crop. 1t is not
generally found in the farm garden
and is not grown by a majority of the
truck farmers who market their crops
locally
OF late years it is grown very ex-
tensively during the winter in Flori-
da, North and South Carolina, for ship
ping to Northern markets. In central
and southern Florida it can be grown
but in northern Florida they protect
it with common sheeting wnen neces-
sary. In North and South Carolina
1t is sown in cold frames so construct
ed that the crop can be cultivated with
the horse. Practically all of this let
tuce is shipped to the Northern cities.
Very little lettuce is marketed dur
ing the winter by the local gardeners
around the Southern cities, In this
they make great mistake. For it
can be sown in September, .transplant-
ed to hot beds and marketed by
Christmas. At this time of the year
1t brings a fancy price and is very
much in demand, and there is plenty
of lime to use these same hot beds
without any additional preparation, for
growing spring plants, cabbage, let
tuce, tomatoes, egg plants. etc. In
this way enough may be made to more
than pay for the growing of both the
lettuce and the plants. Even if the
frames are not needed for the grow
ing plants, the lettuce can be grown
In frames at handsome profit.
AS tomatoes can be had a great deal
earlier If the plants are transplanted
before setting out in the field, the
plants may be grown in hotbeds dur
ing December and transplanted into
the frames where the lettuce has been
grown, thus getting double service
from the frames.
Lettuce sown during the late sum-
mer may be marketed before it is cold
enough to kill it In the latitude of At
lanta. 1t can be sown during Septem-
Der and transplanted to cold frames
where it will stand until it is warm
enough for it to head, in the early
spring. If it is to be forced so as to
De marketable by Christmas it must
be transplanted into hot beds-that is
beds prepared with an underlayer of
resh manure
Lettuce plants for the early spring
,rop should be raised In hot beds and
as soon as warm enough.
lettuce is very hardy and can be
'asfly protected during winter with
ordinary sheeting. The late spring
crop should be sown in drills in the
leld. The lettuce plants should be
me foot apart each way, both in the
'eds and in the field crops. The field
rop should be cultivated with the
5heel hoe and the hand hoe.
Rich soil, good seed. and frequent
cultivation are the essentials for sue
essfui lettuce growing. At least one
thousand pounds per acre of CONNER
ial fertilizer should be used, and mn
fifteen hundred would pay. Good
sttuce can not be grown on poor
oil, and a rich mellow clay loan
lakes the best lettuce soil.
The fertilizer should analyze 6 per
ent nitrogen, 5 per cent phosphoric
cid and 2 per cent potash. Lettuce
rown in the field should not be
reed too fast, especially during hot
Gather. We ruined about a thou
ma heads this spring by forcing
lem too fast with nitrate of soda,
'using them to go to seed without
sading.
On the local market lettuce is sold
the dozen heads. the price varying
18th size and demand. When shipp-
!, 1t is sold by the drum or barrel.