PLANTING LIST 365 



in the cold-frame and the open ground until mid-June. The seed 

 may be sown broadcast or in drills four inches or more apart ; thin 

 to two inches or more apart, and give the best culture. Pick the 

 radishes as soon as they are large enough to eat ; the longer they 

 remain, the more peppery they get, and the more likely they are to 

 grow pithy. Begin again after the middle of August to sow for 

 fall use. The worst pest of the radish is the maggot, which quickly 

 spoils them. Where it is found, therefore, grow radishes either 

 in frames in cold weather, when the fly is not active, or else entirely 

 under cheesecloth ; otherwise give up the crop for a few years. 



The large kinds are the summer radishes, which often average 

 a pound in weight, and the winter radishes, often very much heavier. 

 These last, though grown in summer and fall, may be stored for 

 winter use. The large radishes are firm and crisp of flesh, and are 

 sliced into salads, or even cooked. Sow them in June, in rows a 

 foot or more apart according to variety, and thin to six inches or 

 more apart. The large Japanese radishes need two feet of space. 



Rhubarb, or Pie-plant: Grown for its thick, juicy leaf-stems, 

 which are either pulled for some weeks in spring, when they are best, 

 or else at intervals during the gardening season. The plants should 

 not be exhausted by picking, or they will yield poorly afterwards. 

 Flower stalks should be cut off the moment they appear, or they 

 will weaken the plant. Rhubarb is not grown from seed, but is 

 raised from root-divisions, which can be cheaply bought. Varieties 

 are few. As the plants stand for years in the same spot, the soil 

 should be well prepared for them. Dig each hill (four feet apart) 

 as deep as two feet if possible, putting much manure in the bottom, 

 and mixing with the soil well-rotted manure or compost. The 

 soil should best not be cold, but rhubarb will grow anywhere, and 

 poor soils can be made satisfactory with manure. Cover the crown 

 a couple of inches, cultivate well, and do not pick until the second 

 year. This first picking should be light, but the next-year stalks 

 may be pulled for a month or more, always leaving about half of 

 them to feed the plant. Pull them from the crown with a quick 

 downward motion, and leave the broad leaves lying on the ground 



