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Spanish. Large Purple. Winter or Pur- 

 ple Spanish. 



The soil, a light loam, and moderately 

 fertile, should be dug a full spade deep, 

 and well pulverized. Manures should 

 not be applied at the time of sowing. The 

 situation should always be open, but for 

 early and late crops warm and sheltered. 



Sowing. For the earliest productions, 

 during December, January, and February, 

 in a hotbed; and in the open ground 

 once a month during winter, and every 

 fortnight during the other seasons of the 

 year. 



In the open ground the seed is gene- 

 rally sown broadcast, and well raked in, 

 but in drills is much the most preferable 

 mpde. In either case it must be inserted 

 thin, and buried a quarter of an inch 

 deep. Thick sowing causes the tops to be 

 large, and the roots sticky. 



If broadcast, the beds should be laid 

 out four or five feet wide, divided by al- 

 leys afoot in width, the earth from which 

 may be thrown out to raise the beds. 

 If drills are employed for the long- rooted, 

 they are required to be three inches 

 asunder, for the turnip-rooted four or 

 five, and for the Spanish, &c., six or eight. 



When the seedlings are well up, and 

 advanced to five or six leaves, they are 

 ready for thinning; the spindle- rooted to 

 three inches apart, the turnip-rooted to 

 four, and the larger varieties to six. The 

 spaces, however, require to be rather in- 

 creased in moist, warm weather. In dry 

 weather they ought to be watered regu- 

 larly every night. The early and late 

 crops that have to withstand the attacks 

 of frost, &c., should be kept constantly 

 covered with dry straw or fern, to the 

 depth of about two inches, or with mat- 

 ting, supported by hooping until the 

 plants make their appearance, when the 

 covering must be removed every mild 

 day, but renewed towards evening, and 

 constantly during frosty or tempestuous 

 weather. 



The bed should have a good watering 

 the morning before that on which they 

 are taken up, but none afterwards until 

 subsequent to the drawing. 



To draw for Salads whilst with their 

 seed-leaves, sowings must be made once 

 a week. The management is precisely 

 that required for rape, mustard, <fec. 



To obtain Seed, leave in April, or early 

 May, some of the most perfect plants of 

 a main crop. When in full vigour, they 



must be taken up with as little injury as 

 possible to the roots and leaves, and 

 planted in rows, three feet asunder each 

 way, being inserted by the dibble com-- 

 pletly down to the leaves. Water must 

 be applied until they have taken root, 

 and occasionally throughout their growth, 

 especially when in flower. If practicable, 

 it is best to leave some plants where 

 raised. 



To obtain seeds of the Black Spanish, 

 some seeds must be sown 'in March, or 

 some of the winter-standing crop left or 

 transplanted during that month. The 

 pods must be cut as soon as they become 

 of a brown hue, and well dried. 



Two varieties must never be raised 

 near each other, and seed of the previous 

 year's raising should always be employed. 



The seeds of the different varieties are 

 easily distinguished by an experienced 

 seedsman. Those of the long white 

 radish are small, flat, and pale ; of the 

 scarlet and purple long-rooted, large ; and 

 of the first very light-coloured, compared 

 with those of the latter; of the white 

 turnip, small, round, and brown: scarlet 

 turnip, rather larger, and somewhat 

 darker ; purple turnip, larger and brown, 

 being similar to the long rooted purple, 

 except in size. 



Forcing. A moderate hotbed is re- 

 quired for this crop, of a length according 

 with that of the frame to be employed ; 

 the earth 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 fourth of an inch sifted 

 over it. 



The seedlings are in general up in less 

 than a week, and in six they will be ready 

 to draw. Throughout their growth air 

 must be admitted as freely as is allowable. 

 The glasses, however, must be closed on 

 the approach of evening, and mats or 

 other covering put on in proportion to 

 the severity of the season. When the 

 earth appears at all dry, a light watering 

 must be given at noon. 



The plants must not stand nearer than 

 two inches to each other. The tempera- 

 ture required is from 50 to 70 ; and it 

 must be kept to this heat by moderate 

 linings as required. 



If there be a deficiency of frames, 

 hoops and mats may be employed, a 

 frame of boards being formed round the 

 bed, light and air being admitted as 

 freely and as often as possible. If seed 



