108 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



and Tragus state, that they had seen radishes 

 that weighed forty pounds each ; Amatus 

 relates, that he had seen some which would 

 weight sixty pounds ; and Matthiole assures 

 us that he had met with radishes of such an 

 enormous size, that they weighed one hun- 

 dred pounds each. We are informed, that 

 the leaves were carefully taken off, in order 

 to increase the size of the root. 



The radishes of Zictan, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Brandenburg, are still in great 

 esteem. 



The peasants of Lyons and of 1' Auvergne, 

 as well as of Limousin, make great use of 

 them in their aliments ; they roast them 

 under the ashes, and put them also into 

 soup, to which they give an agreeable taste. 

 Cattle are also fed with them during the 

 winter months. 



The ancients used them boiled; but the 

 Roman physicians recommended them to be 

 eaten raw in a morning with salt, and before 

 taking any other food. 



It was said that radishes were the only 

 cure for a phthisic (phtisicke ) or ulcer of the 

 lungs, which had settled deep. The expe- 

 riment and proof of this were discovered in 

 Egypt, by their causing dead bodies to be 



