. 

 40 ESCULENT ROOTS. 



stem. The flowers are quite large, and, in the different 

 kinds, vary in color from clear white to various shades of 

 purple. The seeds are round, often irregularly flattened or 

 compressed : those of the smaller, or spring and summer 

 varieties, being of a grayish-red co^or ; and those of the 

 winter, or larger-rooted sorts, of a yellowish-red. An ounce 

 contains from three thousand three hundred to three thou- 

 sand six hundred seeds, and they retain their vitality five 

 years. 



Soil, Propagation, and Cultivation. All the varieties 

 thrive best in a light, rich, sandy loam ; dry for early spring 

 sowings, moister for the summer. 



Like all annuals, the Radish is propagated by seeds, 

 which may be sown either broadcast or in drills ; but the lat- 

 ter method is preferable, as allowing the roots to be drawn 

 regularly, with less waste. For the spindle-rooted kinds, 

 mark out the drills half an inch deep, and five or six inches 

 apart ; for the small, turnip-rooted kinds, three-quarters of 

 an inch deep, and' six inches asunder. As the plants 

 advance in growth, thin them so as to leave the spindle- 

 rooted an inch apart, and the larger-growing sorts propor- 

 tionally farther. 



Open Culture. Sow in spring, as soon as the ground 

 can be worked. If space is limited, radishes may be 

 sown with onions or lettuce. When grown with the former, 

 they are said to be less affected by the maggot. For a suc- 

 cession, a small sowing should be made each fortnight until 

 midsummer, as the early-sown plants are liable to become 

 rank, and unfit for use, as they increase in size. 



Radishes usually suffer from the drought and heat inci- 

 dent to the summer, and, when grown at this season, are 

 generally fibrous and very pungent. To secure the requi- 

 site shade and moisture, they are sometimes sown in beds 

 of asparagus, that the branching stems may afford shade 

 for the young radishes, and render them more crisp and 

 tender. A good criterion by which to judge of the quality 



