THE RADISH. 141 



same soil as potatoes, which are more nutritive; but it continues to be 

 much eaten by papists with salt fish. The analysis of parsnips gives 

 in 1000 parts, 99 nutritive matter, of which 9 are mucilage, and the 

 remainder saccharine matter. The botanic varieties are P. Lucida, 

 shining leafed parsnip ; P. saliva, common parsnip, and P. opoponax, 

 rough parsnip. This last is the species affording the gum-resin before 

 alluded to. 



Water parsnip, sium, a genus of aquatic plants S. nodiflorum 

 closely resembles the water cress (nasturtium officinale) when not in 

 flower. It is considered poisonous, though in doses of from 2 to 4 dchms. 

 alone or with milk, it is an excellent alterative in cutaneous diseases. 



P. Saliva. Stem upright, striated, rigid and branching ; leaves pin- 

 nate, alternale and sheathing at the base, composed of oval, slightly 

 lobed, incised leaflets; flower small, yellow, in umbels. S. of Europe. 



RADISH, raphanas sativus. C. 15. Cruciferse, sp. 5-9. Fr. A. 



3 ft signifying quick, in allusion to its quick vegetation. It is 



supposed to have come from China; but it is universally cultivated in 

 temperate climates, and valued for its grateful pungency and agreeable 

 relish, when mixed with salads, or eaten raw with bread and butter, 

 &c. It has a penetrating nitrous juice, by which it is medicinally a 

 good anti-scorbutic. It should not be eaten to excess, as it contains 

 little nourishment, especially in a raw state, in which it should be 

 crispy and not tough, stringy, or over-grown. For all complaints of 

 the chest, such as difficulty of respiration and hoarseness, the syrup 

 is as good as that of turnips, and is said to be efficacious in the hoop- 

 ing cough. When boiled and served up with asparagus, radishes 

 make an excellent dish. An agreeable pickle is also made of the seed 

 pods, alone or mixed with other vegetables, for which use they are 

 gathered young and pickled soon afterwards. 



Radishes when young are esteemed a great luxury in our chief 

 cities, and are much cultivated in this vicinity. For the markets, they 

 are forced in hot-beds, like cucumbers. There are 9 or 10 varieties 

 chiefly cultivated in the temperate climates. The turnip-rooted are 

 best for a late crop. They are externally red, white, violet, &,c., but 

 always white within. Oil is extracted from the seeds of one variety 

 for culinary purposes. The wild radish, R. raphanistrum, is a troub- 

 lesome weed in our grain fields. It requires a deep, sandy, loamy, 

 mellow soil. The 2 spindle-shaped and globular-rooted kinds are 

 chiefly cultivated ; and there are many sub-varieties known as spring, 

 summer., autumn, and winter sorts, all forcing well on hot beds. 

 R. caudatus, or true radish is remarkable for the length of its pods, 

 which are greater than that of the whole plant. 



The varieties commonly known is the Zongand round, or turnip rad- 

 ish. The usual mode of culture is to sow in drills, 6 inches apart, 

 early in spring, and repeated every 2 or 3 weeks, to keep up the pro- 



