RAP 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



RAP 



451 



71. Ranunculus Hispidus. Plant very rough, erect ; leaves 

 ternate ; folioles acutely lobate ; stems beneath the first pe- 

 duncle naked, with few flowers ; flowers small, pale yellow. 

 Grows in wet fields, and on the banks of ditches, in Vir- 

 ginia and Carolina; and flowers from June to August. 



72. Ranunculus Pluviatilis. All the leaves dichotomous- 

 capillaceous; stem floating; flowers white. Found in tran- 

 quil rivers, from Pennsylvania to Carolina. 



Rape. See Brassica. 



Raphanus; a genus of the class Tetradynamia, order Sili- 

 quosa. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth four-leav- 

 ed, erect; leaflets oblong, parallel, converging, deciduous, 

 gibbose at the base. Corolla: four-petalled, cruciform; 

 petals obcordate, spreading ; claws a little longer than the 

 calix ; nectariferous glands four, one on each side between 

 the short stamen and pistil, and one on each -side between the 

 longer stamina and the calix. Stamina: filamenta six, awl- 

 shaped, erect : of these, two that are opposite are of the same 

 length with the calix ; and the remaining four are the length 

 of the claws of the corolla ; anthera simple. Pistil: germen 

 oblong, ventricose, attenuated, the length of the stamina; 

 style scarcely any; stigma capitate, entire. Pericarp: silique 

 oblong, with a point, ventricose, with little swellings, sub- 

 articulate, cylindrical. Seeds : roundish, smooth. ESSEN- 

 TIAL CHARACTER. Calix : closed. Silique : torose, subar- 

 ticulate, cylindrical. Nectariferous Glands: four, two be- 

 tween each shorter stamen and the pistil, and two between 

 the longer stamina and the calix. The species are, 



1. Raphanus Sativus ; Common Garden Radish. Siliques 

 cylindrical., torose, two-celled ; leaves lyrate. Root annual, 

 large, fleshy, fusiform or subglobular, white within ; red, 

 white, or black on the outside. Native of China, Cochin- 

 china, and Japan; in all of which countries it is much culti- 

 vated. Mr. Miller aims at making four sorts of this esculent 

 root, which he says he never found to vary in the course of 

 forty years' experience ; and that by sowing the seeds of each 

 carefully, without mixture, (he produce will always prove the 

 same as the plant which the seeds were saved from. 1. The 

 first, or Long-rooted Radish, is the sort commonly cultivated 

 in kitchen-gardens for its roots. Of this there are several 

 subordinate variations; as the Small-topped, the Deep-red, 

 the Pale-red or Salmon, and the Long-topped Striped Radish: 

 which slight differences Mr. Miller allows to have arisen from 

 cultivation. The Small-topped is most commonly preferred 

 by the gardeners near the metropolis, because they require 

 much less room than those with large tops ; for as forward 

 Pi,adishes are what produce the greatest profit to the gardener, 

 and these are commonly sown upon borders near hedges, 

 walls, or pales, the Large-topped Radish would be apt to 

 grow mostly at top, and not swell so much in the root as the 

 other, especially if the plants should be left pretty close. 

 2. The second, or Small Round-rooted Radish, is not very 

 common in England, but in many parts of Italy it is the only 

 one cultivated : the roots are very white, round, small, and 

 very sweet. It has of late years been brought to the London 

 markets in the spring, generally in bunches, and is some- 

 times mistaken for young Turnips. If eaten young, it is crisp, 

 mild, and pleasant. 3. The third sort, or Large Turnip-rooted, 

 or White Spanish Radish, has a moderately large, sphe- 

 roidal white root, and is esteemed chiefly for eating in autumn, 

 and the early part of winter. This and the second sort are 

 confounded together, under the name of Turnip Radishes. 

 4. The fourth sort, or Black Turnip-rooted Spanish Radish, 

 has a root like the preceding, white within, but a black skin, 

 and is greatly esteemed by many for autumn and winter 

 eating. Mr. Miller observes, that the third and fourth vari- 

 VOL. ii. 103. 



eties are generally cultivated for medicinal use, but that 

 some persons are very fond of them for the table. Propa- 

 gation and Culture. The season for sowing the seeds of the 

 Common Radish are various, acccrding to frlie time when 

 they are designed to be used. The earliest season is at the 

 end of October or the beginning of November, for then the 

 gardeners near London sow them to supply the market at 

 the beginning of March. They are commonly sown on warm 

 borders, near walls and pales, or hedges, where they may be 

 defended from the cold 'windu. There are, however, some 

 persons who sow Radish seeds among other crops at the 

 middle of September, which, if not destroyed by frost, are fit 

 for use early in February : but this is sooner than most people 

 care to eat these roots ; and this crop, if not used while 

 young, soon grows strong and sticky. The second general 

 sowing is usually about Christmas, provided the season be 

 mild, and the ground in a fit condition to work. These are 

 also sown in sheltered places, but not so near pales and 

 hedges as the October sowing. Unless destroyed by frost, 

 they will be fit for use at the beginning of April ; but in order 

 to have a succession of these roots for the table through the 

 season, you should repeat sowing the seeds once a fortnight, 

 from the middle of January till the beginning of April, always 

 observing to sow the latter crops upon a moist soil and in an 

 open situation, otherwise they will run up, and grow sticky, 

 before they are fit for use. Many of the gardeners near 

 London sow Carrot-seed with their early Radish, so that 

 when -their Radishes are killed, which sometimes happens, 

 the Carrots will remain ; for the seeds of Carrots commonly 

 lie in the ground five or six weeks before they come up, and 

 the Radishes seldom lie above a fortnight under ground at 

 that season, so that they are often up and killed, when the 

 Carrot-seeds remain safe in the ground ; but when both crops 

 succeed, the Radishes must be drawn off very young, or the 

 Carrots will be drawn up so weak as not to be able to support 

 themselves when the Radishes are gone. It is also a constant 

 practice with the kitchen-gardeners, to mix Spinach-seed with 

 their latter crops of Radishes. When these are drawn off, 

 and the ground cleaned, the Spinach will thrive greatly, and 

 in a fortnight's time will as completely cover, the ground as 

 though there had been no other crop. If it be of the broad- 

 leaved kind, the Spinach will be larger and fairer than it 

 commonly is -when sown by itself ; because, where there is 

 no other crop, the Spinach-seed is commonly sown too thick, 

 and the plants are therefore drawn up weak : but in this 

 management, the roots standing pretty far apart, have room 

 to spread ; and if the soil be good, the plants will attain a 

 considerable size before they run up to seed. When the 

 Radishes are come up, and have five or six leaves, pull them 

 up where they are too close, otherwise they will run to top, 

 and the roots will not increase in bulk. In doing this, some 

 only draw them out by hand ; but the best method is to thin 

 them with a small hoe, which will stir the ground, destroy 

 the weeds, and promote the growth of the plants. For draw- 

 ing small, leave them at three inches' distance ; but at six 

 inches, if they are to stand longer. For saving Radish-seed : 

 At the beginning of May, prepare a spot of ground, propor- 

 tionable to the quantity of seed intended to be saved. Digit 

 well, and level it; then draw up some of the straightest and 

 best-coloured Radishes, and plant them in rows three feet 

 distant, and two feet asunder in the rows; observing, if the 

 season be dry, to water them until they have taken root ; after 

 which they will only require to have the weeds hoed down 

 between them, until they have advanced so high as to over- 

 spread the ground. When the seed begins to ripen, guard 

 it carefully against birds. W]ienit is ripe, the pods will 

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