EADISHES, CARROTS, BEETS AND BEANS. 231 



some of the plants may be destroyed, to plant the seeds 

 somewhat closer, say at intervals of half an inch. The 

 seeds should be covered and the soil leveled off and 

 pressed down. If the soil is moist, as it should be, one 

 watering at the time of sowing will be all that is neces- 

 sary until germination is completed. 



During their entire growth, radishes need thorough 

 ventilation and the air should be on at least for a short 

 time each day, except in the most inclement weather. 

 The night temperature should be about 50 degrees, with 

 a minimum for best results of 45 degrees, although if it 

 drops slightly below 40 degrees occasionally little harm 

 will be done. "With a full amount of air on, it will do 

 no harm if on bright days the temperature of the house 

 runs up, with sun heat, to 70 or 75 degrees, but as a 

 radish grows best in a cool temperature, nothing over 60 

 or 65 degrees should be given, except by sun heat. 

 When the second rough leaf begins to form, the plants 

 should be thinned out so as to leave a plant every one 

 and one-half or two inches in the rows. 



While the plants are small, only a small amount of 

 water is used by them and care must be taken not to 

 saturate the bed. Syringing will be helpful on bright 

 mornings. The first sowing should be made about the 

 first of October and to secure a succession should be 

 repeated every three weeks. The principal enemy of the 

 radish in the forcing house is the green aphis, which can 

 be kept in check by fumigating with tobacco twice a 

 week. With proper conditions for growth and a clean 

 house, they seldom appear. For spring use, the radishes 

 should be sown in hotbeds about the 1st and 15th of 

 March and in a cold frame on the 15th of April, after 

 which they can be grown in the open air. 



The best variety for winter forcing is a good strain 

 of White-Tipped Scarlet Turnip, Cardinal, Globe or Scar- 

 let Globe, although the Scarlet Turnip and French 



