206 GARDENING. 



originally from Asia, making great part of the food 

 of tropical latitudes, and occasionally cultivated as 

 far north as Long Island. Of its many varieties 

 three only are known to us, and these take their de- 

 nominations from their colour. The red is the ear- 

 liest, the yellow the sweetest, and the white the 

 largest. In the sandy and humid parts of South 

 Carolina, all these races attain to a considerable 

 size. On Long Island they are small and (what is 

 more to be regretted) very inferior in the nutritive 

 and agreeable qualities which distinguish the fruit 

 when growing under more favourable circum- 

 stances.* 



This plant is easily cultivated, and, whether it 

 gives us fruit or not, its beauty is such as will well 

 repay us for the trouble of raising it. Score the 

 square intended for it (which should have been pre- 

 viously well dug and manured) both ways, and at 

 the distance of four feet each way, and place and 

 cover the seeds at the angles of intersection. When 

 the plants rise, keep them clear of weeds, and, as 

 in hilling corn, draw up the earth well about the 

 roots. 



The PUMPKIN is a species of the Cucurbita. 

 Among its varieties are the Maltese, the Barbary, 

 the Iroquois, and the white, which is the winter 

 pumpkin. f The culture of all is the same. They 

 are less nice than cucumbers and melons with re- 

 gard to soil, and will grow in any dry and well-la- 

 boured earth. The best time for sowing them is 

 between the 15th and 25th of May. 



The RADISH (Raphanus Sativus). Of this there are 



* Parmentier analyzed the sweet potatoe in 1780. The re- 

 sult was sugar, amidon, and an extractive matter ; but he well 

 remarks that " these principles vary with the age and variety of 

 the plant, and with the soil and climate in which it grows." 



t Many new varieties have been recently introduced, and 

 among the best is the Valparaiso, known under different names. 

 J. B. 



