POPULAR VARIETIES OF GARDEN VEGETABLES. 



22L 



a neighborhoocl. Give a good, rich, deep, mellow soil, both to seeds and 



plants. In the spring, two weeks be- 

 fore the frost is gone, cover two of the 

 finest roots witii barrels. Then throw 

 over the roots and around the barrels 

 leaves, straw or manure, and the earliest 

 and tenderest stalks will be the resultt 



RADISHES. 



Eadishes are divided into two classes. Spring and Winter, or as denominated 



in some of the books. Summer and Autumn. The spring varieties are much 



smaller than the winter, tender, ar- 

 rive at maturity in a very brief time, 



and very soon become over-grown 



and worthless. The winter sorts 



mature more slowly, are large, very 



solid, and with proper care keep a 



long time. 



The Spring Radish must make a, 



rapid growth to be fit for use; it 



will then be crisp and tender, and 



of mild flavor. If grown slowly, it! 



will be hard, fibrous, and disagree- 

 ably pungent. For early use, seed 



should be sown in the hot-bed, in 



drills four or five inches apart and 



half an inch deep. Thin out the 



young plants so that they will stand 



two inches apart in the rows. Give 



plenty of light and air, or they will 



become drawn — that is, slender and worthless. For out-door beds, select a 



warm, sunny location, with a sandy soil. A 

 little new earth from the woods, as a top- 

 dressing, before the seeds are sown, will be of 

 great service. A top-dressing of soot, or even 

 coal ashes, will be of much benefit, as we have 

 found by long experience. The great point is 

 to get the plants to grow rapidly after the seed- 

 leaf appears above ground, so as to be out of 

 the way of the black beetle that proves so 

 troublesome when they are young, puncturing 

 every leaf. Sow soot, ashes, or dust over them 

 frequently, as the beetle dislikes gritty food. 

 Our engraving shows a few of the leading va- 

 rieties, fig. 1 representing Red Turnip; 2, Rose 

 I Olive-Shaped; 3, Scarlet Olive-Shaped, with 

 white tip ; 4, Long White Naples, an excellent 

 variety for growing late in the season ; 5, Long 

 Scarlet Short-Top. 

 The Winter Radish should be sown in July 



or August, about the time of turnip sowing. They may be kept in a cool cellar 



and covered with earth for winter use. Put them in cold water for an hour 



