440 GARDENING FOR MARKET. 



Harvesting the crops, and preparing them for market. 



The first sales will be of radishes and spinach. Long 

 radishes are pulled, and tied in bunches, and then thrown 

 into water. In a few minutes they are taken out by the 

 tops, laid against a board which stands sloping into the 

 water, and there washed clean with a wisp-broom. 



The round radishes grow at the top of the ground, and so 

 little dirt adheres to them that they only require to be 

 soaked for a few minutes and then shaken in the water. 



Spinach is simply cut off at the top of the root and packed 

 (dry) in barrels 40 Ibs. being a barrel. It is the easiest of 

 all the crops, except cabbages, to prepare for market. 



Parsnips are, as every farmer knows, either left in the 

 ground until spring, or taken up in the fall and stored like 

 any other roots. 



Beets are pulled when about half grown ; the outside 

 leaves torn off so as to leave only enough to hold them 

 by securely, the roots washed clean, and tied in bunches of 

 four or five, according to the varying custom of different 

 markets. 



Onions (rare-ripes) are pulled when the bulb has a diameter 

 of three-quarters of an inch or thereabouts the larger the 

 better and, after the removal of the dead skin, are tied in 

 bunches of five or ten. For the New York market, they 

 must be washed. For Eastern markets this is not necessary. 

 It is quite an addition to the cost of preparation. 



Cabbages (the early sorts) are simply cut off near the 



