TREATMENT OF RADISHES. 125 
Preparing the crop for market.— When the crop is 
ready to market, which will generally be about 4o days 
from the time of planting, the roots are pulled and tied 
6 to 8 in a bunch, or 12 to 16, as the market may re- 
quire. Everything is pulled clean, and when a sufficient 
number of bunches is obtained they are thrown into a 
tank, tub or barrel and washed in clean water. Ordinarily 
there is very little soil adhering to the roots, so that the 
washing is a comparatively easy matter. Care must be 
exercised, however, in keeping the water clean, otherwise 
the radishes will go to market lacking the gloss that 
helps to sell them. 
As soon as the plants are pulled the ground should 
immediately be forked over, smoothed, and planted, as al- 
ready described. Following the foregoing plan, the first 
crop will be ready for market about Thanksgiving, the 
second crop January 5 to Io, the third crop the last week 
in February, and the fourth crop the first week in April. 
After this the house will pay better planted to cucumbers, 
which should by this time be in 6 or 8-inch pots. 
Approximate yields per square foot.— A square foot of 
ground should yield on an average 16 bunches of rad- 
ishes, 6 to 8 in a bunch, in the period extending from 
October 15 to April 10. The price will average 2 cents 
per bunch, making the returns 32 cents per square foot. 
Temperature, moisture, insects and diseases.— The rad- 
ish cannot be pushed by heat. A night temperature of 
45° to 50°, with 20° to 25° more during the day, is about 
right. If too much bottom heat is given the plant will 
run to top. Watering should be carefully done, and in 
no case should the soil be allowed to become dry enough 
for the plants to wilt. In such cases a heavy watering 
is likely to cause the radishes to crack, thus rendering 
them unfit for market. 
Insects and diseases cause very little trouble. Green- 
fly sometimes proves difficult to manage, but a light fumi- 
gation every two weeks with tobacco stems will keep the 
