Groton, Conn., Jan.7 (AP) – Fresh vegetables 20,000 leagues under the sea?  No daydream out of Jules Verne, they are a part of everyday life for the men of the navy’s Polaris submarine fleet. Nothing beats a fresh serving of salad or a piping side-dish of peas and carrots while cruising under the ocean for 60 days, says the navy.

Develop New Method.   To make sure Polaris crewmen get these delights during their long voyages, a method of growing lettuce, carrots, and green peas on board has been developed by the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics Corporation. The vegetables are grown in hydroponic garden kits - three foot planters that look like large window flower boxes. The seeds are planted in a chemical growth base and intense fluorescent lights are kept on them, Electric Boat explained.

Lee Carries Garden.   The gardening experiments were conducted by Electric Boat under a contract from the office of naval research. Five hydroponic garden kits have been shipped to the submarines’ anchorage at Holy-Loch, Scotland.  The Polaris submarine Robert E. Lee carried a miniature garden on a recent cruise, and similar ones are being installed in other nuclear submarines, Electric Boat said.  How long does it take to raise a fresh crop of greens under the sea? General Dynamics  researchers say ruby lettuce can be grown in about three weeks, and carrots and dwarf peas in about four.