63 4 PRACTICE OF GARDENING, Part III. 



Subsect. 10. Radish. — Raphanis sativus, L. (Lam. III. t. 568.) Tetrad. Siliq. L. and 

 Crucifercc, J. Radis and Rave, Fr. ; Rettig, Ger. ; and Rafano, Ital. 



3754. The radish is an annual, a native of China, and mentioned by Gerrard in 1 584. 

 " The leaves are rough, lyrate, or divided transversely into segments, of -which the infe- 

 rior less ones are more remote. The root is fleshy, and fusiform in some varieties, in 

 others sub-globular ; white within, but black, purple, yellow, or white, on the outside ; 

 the flowers pale-violet, with large, dark veins ; pods long, with a sharp beak." 



3755. Use. Formerly the leaves were often boiled and eaten ; but now the roots are 

 chieflv employed. These are eaten raw in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The 

 youno- seedling leaves are often used with cresses and mustard, as small salad ; and radish 

 seed-pods, when of plump growth, but still young and green, are used to increase the 

 variety of vegetable pickles, and are considered a tolerable substitute for capers. 



3756. Varieties. These may be divided into the spring, autumn, and winter sorts. 

 Sprino- radishes may be subdivided into the long or spindle-rooted (Rave, Fr.); and the 

 round°or turnip-rooted (Radis, Fr.); the autumn sorts are chiefly oval or turnip-rooted, 

 and the winter radishes are ovate or oblong, and dark-colored. " The character of a 

 o-ood long-rooted radish," Strachan observes, " is to have its roots straight, long, free from 

 fibres, not tapering too suddenly, and especially to be fully formed on the top, or well 

 shouldered, as it is called, and without a long neck ; the roots should be ready to draw 

 whilst the leaves are small, whence the name short-top radish, and if they soon attain a 

 proper size, and also force well, they are then called early and frame radishes." (Hort. 

 Trans, vol. iii. p. 438.) 



Spring and Summer Kinds. i Autumn Kinds. I Winter Radishes. 



Lone sorts. Scarlet, or salmon-colored, White Russian ; the root larger than any , White Spanish; root large oval, outside 

 and its subvarieties — of the long-rooted kinds, white, tapering white tinged with green, flesh not, farm, 



Short topt scarlet and ' ^ e a carrot, flavor nutty, like that of ] solid, and white 



Earlvframe scarlet: which are the two the rampion. {Hort. Trans, iii. 115.) Oblong brown; root middle-sized, pear- 

 Yellow turnip ; root large, ovate, yellow, shaped, outside coat rough and brown, 

 or dusky-brown, and rough without, | marked with white circles, flesh hot, 

 but the flesh white | firm, solid, and white, plant very hardy 



Round brown ; root large, shape irregu- Black Spanish ; root large, irregularly 

 lar, externally matted with greenish- pear-shaped, rough and black externally, 

 brown, and the flesh soft, and of a and the flesh hot, firm, solid, and white : 



greenish-white. very hardy 



Purple Spanish ; a subvariety of the black, 

 I with a purple skin. 



{Christie, in Hort. Trans, iv. 13.) 



sorts most generally cultivated 



Purple ; an early sort "of good flavor, but at 

 present neglected 



Long white; the original variety cultivated 

 in Gerrard s time, white, semi-transpa- 

 rent, and delicate. 



Turnip-Radishes. 



White ; root globular like a turnip 



Earlv white ; a subvariety 



The pink ; rose-colored, scarlet, and crim- 

 son are names applicable to one sort 

 which approaches to the pear-shape. 



3757. Estimate of sorts. The spindle-rooted kinds are cultivated in the largest proportion for the first 

 crops. The small turnip-rooted 'sorts may be sown in spring as secondary crops, and in summer and au- 

 tumn for more considerable supplies. The winter sorts have a coarser flavor than the other kinds; but 

 being of a hardy nature, are frequently sown. They are sliced in salads, or occasionally eaten alone with 

 salt, vinegar, and other condiments. 



5758. Propagation. All the varieties are raised from seed. 



3759. Soil and situation. The soil should be light and mellow, well broken by digging : for sowings be- 

 tween the middle of October and the middle of Februarv, let the site be a dry sheltered border, open to 

 the full sun. From the middle of February to the end of March, any dry open compartment will be suit- 

 able. As spring and summer advance, allot cooler and shaded situations. A scattering of the smaller 

 growing sorts mav be sown among some broad-cast crops of larger growth, such as spinage, lettuce, and 

 onion ; it may be'also drilled between wide rows of beans, or on ground intended to be sown with a late 



3760. Times of sowing. " The crops raised between the middle of October and the middle of February, 

 are usually confined to the spindle-rooted kinds. Of the early short-top red, a first small saving may be 

 made at the end of October, another in November, and a third in the last fortnight of December, if open 

 temperate weather ; respectively to stand over the winter : but make the principal early sowings in January, 

 or the beginning of February. From this time sow every fortnight or ten days, in full succession crops 

 till the end of May ; as well the white and red small turnip-rooted as the autumn sorts. The winter sorts 

 are sometimes raised at the beginning of summer ; but the fittest season to sow them is from the end of 

 June to the end of August ; that is, in July for use in autumn, and in August, to provide a supply through- 

 out winter." __ _. 



3761. Seed, process in sowing, and common culture. " Sow each sort separate ; and for a bed tour teet 

 six inches by twelve feet, two ounces of seed will be required of the spring sorts, and an ounce and halt 

 for the autumn varieties. All the kinds may be sown either broad-cast or in drills ; but the latter is pre- 

 ferable, as allowing the roots to be drawn regularlv, with less waste. If you sow broad-cast, it is a good 

 method to make beds four or five feet wide, with alleys between, a foot wide, the earth of which may be 

 used to raise the beds, or not, as the season may make it desirable to keep the beds dry or moist. Av0ld 

 sowing excessively thick, as it tends to make the tops run, and the roots stringy. Rake in the seed well, 

 full half an inch deep, leaving none on the surface to attract the birds. If you trace drills, let them be 

 for the spindle- rooted kinds half an inch deep, and about two inches and a half asunder ; for the small 

 turnip-rooted, three quarters of an inch deep, and four or five inches asunder; and for the black turnip 

 or Spanish, six or eight inches asunder, because the root grows to the size of a middle-sized turnip. As 

 the plants advance in growth, thin them so as to leave the spindle-rooted about two inches square aistance, 

 and the other sorts three, four, or five, leaving the most space to the respective sorts in tree-growing wea- 

 ther. In dry warm weather, water pretty frequently : this swells the roots, and makes them mild and 



Cr 3762 Occasional shelter. " The crops sown between the end of October and the end of February, be- 

 sides being favored in situation, will want occasional shelter, according to the weather. On the first ap- 

 proach of frost, whether the seed is just sown, or the plants have appeared, cover the ground, either with 

 clean straw dry long haulm, or dried fern, two or three inches thick, or with mats supported on short 

 stout peo* The covering will keep off the birds, and by its warm effect on the mould, lorward the ger- 

 mination of the seed. The time for removing or restoring it must be regulated by the weather ; as the 

 plants should be exposed to the full air whenever it can be safely done. If the season be cold without 

 frost take off the covering every morning, and put it on towards evening ; and if the weather be sharp 

 and frosty, let it remain on night and day, till the plants have advanced into the first rough leaves, and at- 



