GROWING RADISHES 275 



As the radish is naturally of quick growth and as crispness 

 and mild flavor are largely conditioned on pushing it to the utmost 

 of its speed, it can be grown to advantage as a catch crop here and 

 there in the garden on ground that is temporarily out of use for a 

 few weeks, or between the rows of more slowly growing vegetables. 

 The gardener should always be ready to scatter good radish seed 

 when he has a little stretch of light, rich, moist soil at command. 

 A little attention and ingenuity will in this way secure a constant 

 supply. 



Varieties. Popular favor runs in the direction of the turnip- 

 shaped varieties, of which there are very many. The long radishes 

 are, however, often chosen for home use. The Early Scarlet Turnip 

 is most largely grown and there are several strains of it varying 

 in earliness and color. The French Breakfast, oval, tipped with 

 white, stands next to the Scarlet Turnip sorts. The Italian market 

 gardeners grow what is known as the '"Half-Long," a variety of 

 Rose Olive-Shaped and the Black Spanish, very desirable for winter 

 growth. The White Turnip, similar to Scarlet Turnip except in 

 color, is popular with German gardeners, and the Chartier has some 

 popularity as a large scarlet variety, shading to pink and thence to 

 white at the root-tip. The Crimson Giant is very large and gener- 

 ally solid and crisp. The Mammoth Chinese distances all others for 

 size. It is pure white, mild-flavored and crisp, even though it may 

 grow eighteen inches in length and three inches in diameter in six 

 weeks, with interior heat on light soil, abundantly moist. 



HORSE-RADISH. 



Horse-radish is a popular relish in California towns and is 

 bottled on quite a large scale. The plant is easily grown and should 

 be found in every farm garden. A start is most conveniently made 

 by planting root sets. Mr. Ira W. Adams advises planting the 

 roots or sets in rows two feet apart with the sets one foot apart in 

 the rows, and three or four inches under the surface. On rich, 

 moist soil, with the best of cultivation, one can raise roots that will 

 weigh from one-half to three-quarters of a pound. When the roots 

 are dug in winter for use, break off all the small rootlets from one- 

 quarter to one-half inch in diameter, cut into pieces from three to 

 five inches long, leaving the top end square, and the bottom end 



