260 



HORTICULTURE. 



English Bo- 



of England, but not common j figured in 

 tar.y, t. 638. It is the salsifis or cercifis of the French. 

 1 b e root i s ' on ff an d tapering, of a fleshy white sub- 

 stance; the herb smooth, glaucous, and rising three 

 or four feet high; the leaves resembling those of 

 the leek, as intimated in the trivial name ; the flow- 

 ers of a dull purple colour, closing soon after mid- 

 day ; the seed, as in other species of goat's-beard, re- 

 markable for having attached to it a broad feathery 

 crown. It has been cultivated for a century past in 

 our gardens, but Gerarde and Parkinson do not men- 

 tion it; while they recommend the yellow goat's- 

 beard, Tragoposon pratensis, which is now neglected. 

 Salsify roots boiled or stewed like carrots, have a mild 

 sweetish flavour. The stalks of year-old plants are 

 sometimes cut in the spring when about four or five 

 inches high, and dressed like asparagus. Salsify is at 

 present, however, but little attended to. 



It is sown in April, and thinned, like similar crops, 

 to six or eight inches apart. A mellow and deep soil 

 affords the best plants. They may remain in the 

 ground all winter, and be taken up as wanted. If two 

 or three roots be left, or be transplanted in the au- 

 tumn, they will afford abundance of seed the follow- 

 ing year. 



Radish. 



329. The Radish (Raphanns sativus, L.; Tetrady- 

 namia Siltquosa ; nat. ord. Cruciferce) is an annual 

 plant, originally from China. It is mentioned by Ge- 

 rarde ; and was probably known in England long be- 

 fore his time. The leaves are rough, lyrate or divided 

 transversely into segments, of which the inferior less 

 ones are more remote ; the root fleshy, fusiform in 

 some varieties, in others subglobular ; white within, 

 but black, purple, or white on the outside ; the flowers 

 pale violet, with large dark veins ; pods long, with a 

 sharp beak. 



There are two principal varieties, distinguished by 

 the shapes of the roots already mentioned : 1. With fu- 

 siform roots, the long-rooted or spindle- rooted radish, 

 the rave of the French ; 2. With subglobular roots, the 

 turnip- rooted radish, the radis of the French. The 

 roots of both are used principally in the way of salad, 

 in winter and the early part of spring. Formerly the 

 leaves were often boiled and eaten ; but now the roots 

 only are employed ; and as they are always used raw, 

 the plant might, without impropriety, have been rank- 

 ed under the title of Salads. 



330. Of the spindle-rooted kind, the subvarieties 

 much in cultivation are, the small-topped or short-top- 

 ped purple, the leaves of which occupy little room ; 

 and the pink or rose-coloured, or, as it is frequently cal- 

 led, the salmon radish. There is also an early dwarf- 

 ish short topped red, and an early short-topped salmon- 

 radish, sown for the first crops, and used for forcing. 0f 

 the turnip-rooted kind, there are several subvarieties. 

 The small turnip-rooted white or Naples radishes, when 

 they appear in the green market in spring, are not un- 

 frequently mistaken for young turnips : they should 

 be eaten young, when crisp and mild, being, when 

 full grown, rather hot and harsh. There is also a 

 small turnip-rooted red radish ; and the queen radish, 

 both red and white. The black turnip-rooted or Spa- 

 nish radish (raij'ort of the French) has a dark coloured 

 skin, but is white within ; though rather coarser than 

 the others, it is much esteemed for autumn and winter 



ginning of November in a sheltered border, or in front 

 of a pinery or green-house ; and they are ready for 

 drawing early in March. More seed is sown in De- 



" . J , ... 



camber or January : and sowings are continued once a 

 fortnight till April, so as to secure a succession of young 

 roots as they may be wasted. 



Any sort of light soil answers, but it should be of 

 sufficient depth to allow the long roots to penetrate 

 easily. A slight covering of fern (pleris) is found very 

 useful in the early spring months, when sharp frosts 

 occur : this covering may be raked oft' in the day-time, 

 and restored at night, without much injury to the leaves 

 of the young radishes. When very dry weather oc- 

 curs in the end of march, the crops are regularly wa- 

 tered. They who wish to have large radishes, are 

 sometimes at the pains to prick a number of holes with 

 the finger, and to drop a seed into each hole. Only a 

 little earth is then tumbled into it, the greater part of 

 the hole being left vacant. The root is thus induced to 

 swell, and long and semi-transparent radishes are pro- 

 cured. Some gardeners mix spinach seed with their 

 later sowings of radishes ; so that when the radishes are 

 drawn, the other soon covers the ground. Others sow 

 lettuce and onions along with radishes. If radishes are 

 to be drawn when small, they are allowed to stand at 

 two inches only apart ; otherwise they have twice that 

 space or more allowed them. When crowded, they 

 are apt to become stringy in the root. 



ScJl. The turnip-radish is sown in February or March, 

 and the plants are thinned out to about six inches with 

 a small hoe. The red and the white queen radish, and 

 the black Spanish radish, are sown from the middle of 

 July to the middle of September, and thinned out in 

 the same manner. They are fit for use in the begin- 

 ning of September ; and before hard frost comes on, 

 they are generally taken up, and stored among sand like 

 carrots, the tops being cut close off: in this way they 

 are ready for use throughout the winter. 



The dwarf early short-topped red, and early short- 

 topped salmon radishes, are easily forced on a hot-bed : 

 if the seed be sown by the middle of November, the 

 radishes will be fit for drawing by the end of Decem- 

 ber, and will afford a supply ibr a month. Care must 

 be taken to have a sufficiently thick layer of earth to 

 hinder them from penetrating into the dung. 



The seed of any of the sorts is easily procured by 

 transplanting a few of the best and most characteristic 

 plants of the respective kinds : the sorts should be 

 placed as far from each other as possible, to prevent 

 commixture of pollen. 



It may be noticed, that the young and green seed- 

 pods are sometimes used for pickling ; and are perhaps 

 scarcely inferior to nasturtiums. 



It may also be mentioned, that Delaunay, in his 

 Bon Jardinier, 1815, describes a new sort of turnip- 

 radish, introduced of late years into France from 

 Egypt; it is remarkable for being of a yellow colour. 

 It has more poignancy than any of the kinds except the 

 black ; and experience has shewn that it may be pro- 

 duced, in the Paris gardens, at almost any season of 

 the year. 



Alliaceous Tribe. 



Onion. 



use. 



Radjshes are sown for the earliest crop in the be- 



332. The Onion (Allium Cepa, L. Hexandria Mo- Onioi. 

 nogynia; Asplwdeli, Juss.) is a biennial plant, well 



