CRESSES RADISHES. 355 



health, though less requisite now than in former times, when 

 culinary vegetables were scarce. The extreme prevalence of 

 severe scurvy during the potato-rot, some seventeen or eigh- 

 teen years ago, demonstrates how largely our ancestors must 

 have been dependent on the plants of the cruciferous family 

 for their freedom from that disease, when neither the potato 

 nor any of our ordinary green vegetables were yet in common 

 cultivation. Even mustard was in much greater request then 

 than it is now. 



The garden-cress has been in use in salads from time im- 

 memorial, so that its native country is lost. The Sisymbrium 

 nasturtium, or Nasturtium officinale, the common water-cress, 

 is in great request among the inhabitants of London and other 

 large cities, apparently for its supposed antiscorbutic proper- 

 ties. It is said by Miiller to contain iodine. One common 

 plant, a species of the genus Sisymbrium the flix-weed, or 

 Sisynibrium sophia is said to be eaten by kine and sheep, less 

 eagerly by horses and goats, but refused by swine. 



The under leaves of the Sinapis arvensis, the common char- 

 lock, and those of the Sinapis alba, the white mustard, are 

 commonly eaten in salads ; while the same, as well as the 

 leaves of .the Sinapis nigra, or black mustard, are boiled for 

 greens. It is recommended in old books of agriculture to eat 

 down the charlocks in early spring by putting sheep on the 

 corn-fields when such weeds are abundant. 



The Raphanus sativus, or common radish, is a native of 

 Eastern countries, as China and Japan ; but was at an early 

 period introduced into English gardens. Long after the be- 

 ginning of the present century, among such Edinburgh sum- 

 mer-cries as " Neeps like succre," was often heard " Reeforts, 

 bonny reeforts/' meaning radishes, though the French word 

 "raifort," from which doubtless it was borrowed, seems to refer 

 only to the horse-radish. 





