QUITTER. 



of it in the highest terms of praise. It has a 

 very pleasant flavour, although this is peculiar 

 and may not at first be relished. The taste 

 more resembles that of oat-meal than rice. The 

 grain is chieily composed of a grain or sprout 

 of the young plant, closely coiled, and imbed- 

 ded in farina. In boiling, this spiral germ is 

 detached, and the dish presents the appearance 

 of being full of skippers, something similar to 

 a dish of boiled beans. The description of the 

 mode of sowing and cultivating the quinoa in 

 Peru, together with the seed, was furnished Mr. 

 Smith by Lieut. Fitzhugh, U. S. N. From this 

 it appears (hat it is sown broadcast, and gathered 

 in the same seasons as wheat. When ripe, the 

 grain shells ofl'very easily, and to prevent loss, 

 it is cut carefully and gathered in on cloths of 

 cotton or linen. 



QUITTER. In farriery, an ulcer formed 

 between the hair and hoof, usually on the in- 

 side quarter of a horse's foot ; it often arises 

 from treads and bruises, sometimes from gra- 

 vel, which, by working its way upwards, lodges 

 about the coronet; if it is only superficial, it 

 may be cured by cleansing dressings, bathing 

 the coronet every day with spirits of wine, and 

 dressing the sore with lime-water, or a deter- 

 gent application, such as red precipitate. 



R. 



RABBIT. (Lepus citnicultu'). A well-known 

 animal, resembling the hare, smaller in size, 

 belonging to the order Roilentue. The rabbit has 

 shorii-r hind*logl than the hare, and the ears 

 are more thinly covered with hair. Rabbits 

 abound in England, and are in many cases 

 preserved in warrens. They are very prolific, 

 and begin to breed at six months old, and have 

 several broods in a year, and from five to seven 

 youn? ones in a brood. The young are blind 

 at birth, and nearly naked. Their fur, in a 

 wild state, is of a brown colour; but varies 

 when domesticated It constitutes a principal 

 article in the manufacture of hats. Owing to 

 its slight conducting power, it is, next to hare's 

 fur, an excellent thing to wear over the shirt 

 for those predisposed to consumption. 



RACEME (Lat. racctnus, a bunch of grapes). 

 In botany, a form of inflorescence, in which 

 the flowers are stalked along a common un- 

 branched axis, as in the hyacinth. 



RA< 'HIS (Gr.). A branch which proceeds 

 in nearly a straight line from the base to the 

 apex of the inflorescence of a plant. It is also 

 applied to the petioles of the leaves of ferns. 



RACK. A railed convenience formed above 

 the manger in a stable for the reception of the 

 hay. It should be constructed with, openings 

 at the bottom for the seed or dust to pass 

 through. 



RADICLE. In botany, that portion of an 

 embryo which eventually becomes the descend- 

 ing axis or root. It is the lowest of the two 

 opposite cones of which an embryo plant con- 

 sists. 



RADISH, CULTIVATED (Raphamu sati- 

 tms). There are two kinds of cultivated radish, 

 the fusiform, or spindle-rooted, and the globu- 

 lar, or turnip-rooted; and these again are di- 

 118 



RADISH. 



vided into the spring and autumn varieties. As 

 for the designation of short and long top, by 

 which the old gardeners divided the varieties, 

 I perfectly agree with Mr. Strachan, the gar- 

 dener of the London Horticultural Society, in 

 considering it as giving importance to a differ- 

 ence that is by no means permanent. The 

 first may be sown at all times of the year; but 

 the last, requiring a greater length of time to 

 perfect their roots, can only, as the name im- 

 plies, be obtained during the latter part of the 

 year. 



Spring Varieties. Fusiform-rooted : 1. Long 

 white, called also the white transparent, white 

 Italian, and Naples radish. 2. White Rus- 

 sian, probably the Raphanus sativus of Gerard. 

 3. Twisted radish of Mons. 4. Scarlet or 

 salmon, or scarlet-transparent radish. 5. Pur- 

 ple, formerly called exclusively the short- 

 topped. 6. Red-necked white. 



Turnip-rooted: 7. White turnip is the only 

 one noticed by Gerard, as the Raphanus orbicu- 

 httvs. 8. Early white turnip. 9. Pink, rose- 

 coloured, scarlet, and crimson turnip. 10. Pur- 

 ple turnip. 11. Yellow turnip. 



Autumn and Winter Varieties. These are all 

 of the turnip-rooted kind; and in the following 

 list they are described in the order they follow 

 in coming into use. 1. Yellow turnip. 2. Round 

 brown. 3. White Spanish, is Miller's Rnpha- 

 .iit*tillinsorl>inilnris. 4. Oblong brown. 5. Black 

 Spanish. 6. Large purple winter, or purple 

 Spanish. 



The soil best suited for this vegetable is a 

 mouldy loam, rather silicious than otherwise, 

 and moderately fertile. It should be dug a full 

 spade deep, and well pulverized. The subsoil 

 is best to be rather hard. Manure should not 

 be applied at the time of sowing, if avoidable, 

 as it is apt to cause the roots to be fibrous. If 

 employed, itshould be in afinely-divided,putres- 

 cent state. The situation should always be 

 open ; but for early and late crops, warm and 

 sheltered. Radishes are propagated by seed, 

 which may be sown at all times throughout the 

 year. For the earliest productions, during De- 

 cember, January, and February, in a hot-bed ; 

 and in the open ground once a month during 

 winter, and every fortnight during the other 

 seasons of the year. 



The time of drawing radishes is by no means 

 indifferent. They eat in the greatest perfection 

 if pulled in the morning before the sun has 

 attained any power, and laid in a cool, damp 

 place until wanted. The bed should have a 

 plenteous watering the morning before that on 

 which they are taken, but none afterwards 

 until subsequent to the drawing. In Novem- 

 ber, those wanted for winter must be taken up 

 during dry weather, and preserved in sand. 

 . Forcing. A moderate hot-bed is required for 

 this crop, of a length according with that of 

 the frame to be employed ; the mould, about 

 eight inches deep, on the surface of which the 

 seed is to be sown as soon as the violent heat 

 is abated, and an additional half inch of mould 

 sifted over it. The seedlings are in general 

 ; up in less than a week, and in six they will b*> 

 ready to draw. Throughout tlunr growth air 

 must be admitted as freely as is allowable. 

 The Classes, however, must be closed on the 

 4K 937 



