In the book, Virgil helps his father pick out an area for their garden. When they settle on one, Virgil works to retrieve pieces of glass and other trash from the soil. The two work for hours to prepare the soil for a substantial garden.
At first, Virgil thinks that they will grow pole beans, but his father has other ideas. Instead, they grow row upon row of fancy baby lettuces that are supposedly in great demand in restaurants. Virgil comes to realize that his father means to make money from their garden. So, he helps his father plant the little seeds and soon finds himself watering the garden ceaselessly. Lettuce seems to be a thirsty crop. As time passes, the lettuce seeds sprout, but the heat from the summer sun causes the vegetables to wilt and to eventually die. Virgil and his father discover too late that lettuce is only meant to be grown in the fall or spring rather than in the summer.
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