254 OF ESCULENTS SECT. XV, 



the ground, and these will strike root. Water well 

 in dry and warm weather. The orange gourd looks 

 very pretty when trained to a pole spirally, or to a 

 wall. 



RADISH is of two kinds, the spindle rooted, and 

 the round, of each of which there is a variety. Of 

 the former we have the early purple, and the early 

 pink short topped, and late large topped ones of both 

 sorts. Of the round there are the white, black, and 

 red turnep radishes. The white (of which there is 

 *a small and large sort) is mostly cultivated, but yet 

 the others are good ; the black grows large, and the 

 red small. The purple sorts, and the small white 

 and red, eat the coolest. The order of coming in 

 from the time of sowing is, the purple, and the pink 

 spindle sorts, and the turnep, red, white, and black : 

 The latter sort is hardy for winter use, but is the 

 coarsest. 



For the first crop, the early purple short top may 

 be sown the latter ends of October, November, and 

 f)ecembei\ (chiefly the last month) in a warm bor- 

 der, and have a change of surviving the winter, if a 

 little protected in frosts by stout sticks, about two 

 inches high, stuck sloping in the ground, to support 

 mats ; or by laying peas haulm, or wheat straw, 

 lightly over them, which may be an inch or two thick, 

 as the frost is ; but no longer than it lasts should the 

 covering be on. The first open weather in January 

 and February sow again, and in these months^ and 

 the preceding one, cover the sowing over with some 

 straw, and it will help to fetch the seeds up, and 

 preserve them from being thrown out of the ground 

 by frost, as also from birds. As soon as they begin 

 to appear, let them be uncovered, to harden them to 

 the air, if the weather is not too severe. Thin these 

 radishes to an inch and a half, or two inches asunder, 

 though some gardeners let them grow thicker. Ra- 



