The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-07-07
HEAD LETTUCE IS
HIGH ALTITUDE CROP
WRITER BELIEVES THIS SALAD
CROP MAY BE GROWN PROFIT
ABLY IN LATAH COUNTY
Editor, Star-Mirror,-

Editor, Star-Mirror,-
Will you permit me to correct an
erroneous impression that might be
created by an article in The Star
Mirror OF Friday, June 30, in regard
to growing head lettuce. The word
ing of the article would lead the
reader to infer that head lettuce is
warm climate, low altitude crop,
while the reverse is true. The best
quality of head lettuce is grown at
a high altitude, where the sun does
not beat down as it does in many of
the lower attitudes. For instance the
best quality head lettuce produced in
Idaho is grown in Long Valley, near
Mccall, in Valley county at an alti-
tude of 5000 feet. Extra choice let
tuce is grown in Teton county at ele-
vations ranging from $500 to $500
feet, where the seasons are short and
the summers cool.
Head lettuce is grown extensively
in southern Idaho, ranging from
Weiser, in Washington county, alti-
tude 2121 feet to Victor, Teton
county, altitude $500 feet. Large
crops Of head lettuce are grown in
the vicinity of Nampa, altitude 24S9
feet; Boise, altitude 2692; Twin Falls,
altitude 3746 feet; Burley, altitude
4156 feet; ST. Anthony, altitude 4S71
feet, and Ashton, altitude 5255 feet
You will note that every place men
toned, excepting Weiser and Nampa,
are at higher attitudes than Moscow.
Can Be Grown in Latah
/ believe that head lettuce can be
successfully grown in Latah county
and there are many places in that
county where it will do we'll. l do
not believe that two crops a year
can be grown there, as is done in
some sections of southern Idaho, but
the county ought to produce one good
crop. No attempt to grow two crops
a year are made in the higher alti-
tudes of southern Idaho, like Mccall
and Victor, where the seasons are
shorter than in the Boise, Payette,
Weiser, and Twin Falls districts.
Head lettuce seems to do we'll
wherever timothy will grow success
fully, and Long Valley, in Valley
county, leads the world for timothy
production, having won nearly all
prizes for the best timothy shown at
the International Seed show at Chi
cago in 1921 and 1922. Head lettuce
requires a damp soil and not too hot
weather. The difficulty in many
sections of southern Idaho is that the
summer heat is too intense and the
lettuce goes to seed instead of head
ing That was the trouble III ISAA
with both the spring crop, which was
caught by the extreme heat of June,
and the fall crop which was caught by
the unusually hot weather of Sep
tember.
Idaho lettuce growers have gone
into WaIlowa county, Oregon, and
have contracted for large acreage
of lettuce to be grown in the vicinity
of Wallowa, Enterprise, and Joseph,
at attitudes ranging from $500 to
1900 feet, on land close to the noun
tains, where the nights are cool and
it is believed there will be no danger
from excessive heat. This land is
quite similar to that lying along the
base of Moscow mountain, where l
believe a good quality of head lettuce
can be successfully grown.
That there is big profit in grow
ing head lettuce, when properly car
ried on. in a suitable climate, is
shown by the fact that as high as
500 and 500 crates per acre have been
harvested in southern Idaho and it
has sold for from $3.50 to So per
crate, net to the grower. 1 see no
reason why Latah county should not
produce enough head lettuce of ex-
celIent quality not only for home con-
sumption, but for extensive shipment
to the markets of the world, where
it is in great demand and the demand
is constantly increasing.
Sincerely yours.
J. E. NESSLY.