I io THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



Successive sowings should be made in the coolest place that can 

 be found for them, and the usual practice of four-feet beds will 

 answer very well. In many gardens sufficient supplies of Radishes 

 are obtained by sowing in the alleys between seed-beds, but care 

 must be taken that this plan does not interfere with the proper work 

 of hoeing, weeding, thinning, <S:c. When seed is sown on light soils 

 a moderate firming with the back of the spade may be desirable, but 

 generally speaking it is sufficient to cover the seed lightly and so 

 leave it. To thin the crop early is, however, of great importance, no 

 matter how wasteful the process may seem, for wherever the plants 

 are crowded they will make large useless tops, and small useless 

 roots, and prove altogether unprofitable. For the earliest sowings 

 we have choice of many sorts, long, round, and oval ; but the long 

 Radishes are not well adapted for late sowing, whereas the round 

 and oval sorts stand pretty well in hot weather if on good ground in a 

 cool situation with the help of a slight amount of shade. As the year 

 advances we return to the practice recommended for the earliest 

 crops. The sowings made in October and November must be on 

 dry borders sloping to the south, and must be protected from frost 

 by means of light litter. It is not a difficult task even in a small 

 garden to keep up supplies of Radishes throughout the year ; but 

 there are large-growing kinds that are much prized by some, who use 

 them in winter in the preparation of salads. The Black Spanish 

 Radish is sown in July and August, in drills nine inches apart, and 

 thinned to six inches in the rows. In November or December the 

 roots are lifted and stored in sand for use. The flesh in the centre 

 is tough and strong- flavoured, but next the rind it is mild and tender, 

 and usually this is the part that is sliced for a winter salad. 



RHUBARB 



(Rheum hybridum) 



RHUBARB is so much valued that we need not recommend it. 

 There are some remarkably fine sorts in cultivation. Reading Ruby 

 stands alone for its deep colour and excellent flavour. Dancer's 

 Early Scarlet and Royal Albert are also good, and, being precocious 

 and hardy, are well adapted for garden culture, as but little labour is 

 needed to insure plenty of sticks of high quality very early in the 

 year. For main crop and late use, Linnaeus and Victoria produce 

 abundant supplies of fine flavour. 



