492 THE GARDEN AND ITS FRUITS. [CnAP. V. 



Duiiglison says : " It may bo looked upon as one of the most ■\vliolesoiuo 

 and valuable esculents that belong to the vegetable kingdom." 



A writer in the Far7ner''s Jictjister says : " It has been tried by several 

 persons with decided success. They were afflicted with chronic cough, the 

 primary cause of wiiich, in one case, was supposed to be a diseased liver; in 

 another, diseased lungs. It mitigates, and sometimes efi'ectually checks, a 

 fit of coughing." 



The method most commonly adopted in preparing this fruit for daily use 

 is to cut them in slices, and serve with salt, pepper, and vinegar, as you do 

 cucumbers. 



To stew tomatoes, remove them ripe from the vines, slice up, and put them 

 in a pot over the stove or fire, without M'ater. Stew them slowly, and when 

 done, put in a small piece of good butter, and eat them as you do apple- 

 sauce. Some add a little flour-bread, finely crumbed, or a couple of crackers 

 pulverized, to a quart of the stew. 



560. RadisheSi — Almost every family grows radishes, but every one does 

 not grow them to perfection. The radish appears to have originated from 

 China, where it is still grown to much higher perfection than in any country 

 of its adoption, and is largely used as an article of food throughout the year, 

 one variety being grown especially for winter use. Although not a very 

 nourishing sort of food, it is a very palatable condiment, and very ac- 

 ceptable upon all tables in the spring season. The. tops are frequently 

 used when quite new as a salad, and the green seed-pods make nice small 

 pickles. To grow good radishes, your ground must be rich from manur- 

 ing in previous years, or by guano in solution, or superphosphate, while 

 the plants are growing, and not by fresh putrescent manures. Radishes are 

 only good when the gi'owth is rapid. To have this they must have a good 

 soil and frequent waterings, either naturally or artificially. 



For early use, sow on mildly hot beds, or in boxes in-doors, and after- 

 ward in sheltered places, and water frequently, thinning out the weakest 

 plants. Put in a few seed every ten days, as long as you want to continue 

 the production, in drills ten inches apart, or with other seeds of slower 

 growth, to mark the rows. An ounce of seed will plant a bed ten feet 

 square. One of the best early sorts is known by the long name of Early 

 Short-tojii^ed Long Scarlet. It grows half out of ground, and very crisp. 

 The Olive-shaped radish, lately introduced from France, is an early and fa- 

 vorite sort. It resembles the scarlet turnip radish ; is rose-colored, oblong ; 

 top quite small, and if grown rapidly, is crisp and sweet. For our use, we 

 prefer turnip radishes to the long sorts. For winter use, the Spanish, or 

 Bhick radish, or a sort called Rose-colored China, is sown in the fall, and 

 leathered before freezing, and packed in sand in a dry cellar. 



501. Rhubarb, or Pie-Plant.— This valuable garden vegetable is easily 

 grown, and afibrds the first thing in spring for pies and tarts. It is best to 

 get roots for a start, as it is not always true to the kind from seed. 



Autumn is the best time to make a rhubarb or pie-i^lant bed, and the 



