150 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



ary to sow the seed where the plants are to remain, but it may 

 be transplanted. It is in demand for flavoring-; is generally 

 hardy at the north. Broad-leaved thyme is the only variety 

 worth growing. 



Mint or Spearmint. {Mentha viridis.) Native of Europe. — 

 Perennial. — A plant with vigorous creeping root stock, very 

 hardy: sometimes a troublesome weed in moist soil. It is 

 grown by planting the roots in the spring. There is a small 

 demand for this plant in winter as well as in summer, which 

 is met by a greenhouse supply. The leaves and young shoots 

 are used for seasoning. 



Peppermint. (Mentha piperita.) Native of Northern Eur- 

 ope. — Perennial. — Propagated by divisions of the stems; 

 occasionally a roadside weed in moist places. It is cultivated 

 in the same way as spearmint. Used mostly for its essential 

 oil which is obtained by distillation. The raising of this 

 plant forms a considerable industry in a few locations in 

 the Northern states. 



HORSERADISH. {Nasturium Armoracia.) 



Native of Europe. — Perennial. — Flowers white and small, 

 in long clusters: seed vessels small, rounded and almost al- 

 ways barren. Propagated by cuttings of the roots. 



Cultivation. This plant delights in deep, moist soil, but will 

 grow in almost any situation and is very hardy. For home use 

 it is customary to let it remain in some neglected corner, where it 

 kills out everything else, and though treated in this way it 

 yields sufficient roots for home use: yet the roots are so 

 crowded that they are scarcely salable. When grown as a 

 market crop, it is planted anew each year. Straight pieces of 

 roots six or eight inches long, called ''sets," are planted 

 about twelve inches apart, in rows two feet apart, early in 

 the spring. The roots must be set right end uppermost, or 

 they will not grow smooth or straight. An iron bar is the 

 most convenient tool for planting the ' ■sets''. The top of the 

 sets should be about two inches below the surface. It is cus- 

 tomary to grow horseradish as a second crop after peas or 

 cabbage, by setting the roots between the rows of the first crop 

 and cultivating the soil without regard to them until the first 

 crop is harvested. It does not seem to hurt horseradish 



