The Culture of Vegetables 



matter how wasteful the process may seem, for wherever the plants 

 are crowded they will make large useless tops, and small worthless 

 roots, and prove altogether unprofitable. For the earliest sowings 

 we have choice of many sorts, round, oval, and long ; but the long 

 Radishes are not well adapted for late" sowing, whereas the round 

 and oval sorts stand pretty well in hot weather, if on good ground in 

 a cool situation, with the help of a slight amount of shade. As the year 

 advances we return to the practice recommended for the earliest 

 crops. The sowings made in October and November must be on 

 dry borders sloping to the south, and protected from frost by means 

 of light litter. It is not a difficult task, even in a small garden, to 

 keep up supplies of Radishes throughout the year; but there are 

 large-growing kinds that are much prized by those who use them in 

 winter in the preparation of salads. The Black Spanish Radish is 

 sown in July and August, in drills nine inches apart, and thinned to 

 six inches in the rows. In November or December the roots are lifted 

 and stored in sand for use. The flesh in the centre is tough and 

 strong-flavoured, but next the skin it is mild and tender, and usually 

 this part is sliced for a winter salad. 



RHUBARB 



Rheum hybridum 



RHUBARB is so much valued that we need not recommend it. 

 There are some remarkably fine sorts in cultivation, adapted for 

 early work, main-crop, and late use. 



Although an accommodating plant, Rhubarb requires for profit- 

 able production a rich deep soil, well worked, and heavily dressed 

 with rotten manure, and a situation remote from trees, but in some 

 degree sheltered. It will be observed that the markets are supplied 

 from sheltered alluvial soils, that have been much cultivated, and 

 kept in high condition by abundant manuring. On the other hand, 

 the coarser kinds will make a free and early growth on a damp clay, 

 if sheltered from the east winds that so often damage early spring 

 vegetation. The shortest way to establish a plantation is to purchase 

 selected roots of first-class named varieties, and plant them in one 

 long row, three to four feet apart, or in a bed or compartment four 

 feet apart each way. The smaller kinds will do very well at two and 

 a half feet each way, but for large-growing sorts this would be in- 

 juriously close. Plant with the top bud two inches deep, tread in 



114 



