AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 175 



" the winter months ;" but, unless the season be peculiar, or 

 great care be used, the summer crops will not be good. 



From the brief but sufficient directions thus given, it would 

 seem easy to raise good radishes, yet, if we except a part of 

 those brought to city markets, such are exceedingly rare. Any 

 cause that checks the growth of a radish destroys its quality. 

 This cause may be the poverty of the soil, its natural unsuit- 

 ableness, as being heavy or cold, or having some special defect ; 

 or it may be the occurrence of cold weather after the crop has 

 well started to grow, or the prevalence of summer heat. Either 

 of these causes may suffice to account for strong, unpleasant 

 roots. Radishes thus checked in their growth are almost in- 

 variably infested with worms, which are a consequence, and 

 not, as sometimes supposed, the cause of their check. 



If the seed sown be of inferior stock, the radishes will be 

 strong and stringy, and the eating of them will be like chew- 

 ing small, tough sticks. But to have good radishes, if seed of 

 good stock be sown, it is only necessary that they grow steadily 

 and rapidly, be pulled as soon as they attain a fair size, and 

 eaten while fresh from the garden. 



From what has been said, it is plain that a light and rather 

 sandy soil is to be chosen for radishes. Where this can be 

 made artificially (see Mechanical Preparation of Soil, p. 18), 

 radishes of any kind may be sown ; but where experience has 

 proved that the long radish will not succeed, the turnip radish 

 only should be sown, avoiding any attempt to raise very early 

 crops, and giving the ground careful preparation and thorough 

 manuring. 



Radishes are often combined with other crops calculated to 

 succeed them, as lettuces, or beets, or early cabbages ; but, un- 

 less land is very valuable, or manure scarce, it is not worth 

 while to adopt this mode. (See Combination of Crops, p. 85.) 



RAPE OR COLEWORT. 



French, Colza. German, Repskokl. Spanish, Nabo Silvestre. 



Both the plant and seed of rape resemble the brown mus- 

 tard. It is sometimes called cole, or colewort, from its French 

 name, colza. It is often sown thickly in drills a foot apart, 



