ROOTS AND TUBERS, 



15 



RADISH. 



The Radish was known to the Greeks as Raphanos, and to the 

 Romans as Raphanus and Radicola, " little root." The herb has been 

 cultivated from time immemorial. Perhaps the earliest allusion occurs 

 in Herodotus" * account of the building of the Great Pyramid of Egypt. 



FIG. 6.- ROOTS AXD TUBERS OF THE POTATO PLANT, AFTER CLUSIUS. 

 (Gard. Chron.} 



He says: "On the pyramid is shown an inscription in Egyptian 

 characters stating how much was expended in radishes, onions, and 

 garlic for the workmen, which amounted to one thousand six hundred 

 talents of silver. ' ' 



Pliny speaks of several varieties, but one, the " wild," clearly refers 

 to the horse-radish. " The Syrian is pretty nearly the mildest and the 



* Herodotus was born 484 B.C. 



