"Then comes lettuce." Leads to Odd Illustrations of 19th C. Seed Farm Operation

"There's a host of good early kinds," said Mrs. Chose. 'Tennis Ball,' and ' Early Egg,' and ' White Silesia,' and ' Simpson.' Then for hot weather, 'Malta Drumhead' is good, and 'Neapolitan,' and 'Asiatic,' and the 'Cos' varieties. 'All the Year Round' has a name, but I haven't tried it."

Miss Tiller' Gets Advice: Ideal Seed Selection for a Small Market Garden in 1873

This is a follow-up posting to Miss Tiller Gets Advice.

First, I didn't know Cos lettuce is what is sold as romaine nowadays.  Romaine wasn't well known in North America even into the 1890s if a Canadian report I found was accurate.  On the other hand, the Cabbage lettuce below is known to us as an iceberg lettuce.

When looking for illustrations and catalogs selling these varieties I tried a D. M. Ferry catalog from 1875.  Success!...sort of, I'm not being too picky about the exact variety.   And I noticed in a Henderson was still selling Tennis Ball eleven years later in 1884.  Oddly named lettuce, isn't it?

The D. M. Ferry catalog is a fascinating look into their business.  

The first illustration of the 6:45 Roll Call is rather grim I thought, but obviously, to Ferry, it is a fine showing of the size of the company.  I rather like the idea of a roll call compared to a time clock though.  Click on the images to see them full sized so you can enjoy the detail!

 Looks like the ladies got to do the hoeing while the men worked with the horse equipment.

This following print certainly rubs me the wrong way!!

Male overseers standing around making sure the ladies weed correctly.