CHILDREN'S GARDENS 121 



induce them to give a small plot at home the proper 

 attention in order to have a supply of this dainty. 



Ancient history. " How few know the antiquity 

 and romance of the radish, its gradual change from 

 a very large size to the small radish of to-day. In 

 early times it was called by the various names Rapha- 

 nus, Radicula and Radix, all meaning root, because it 

 was written that it was one of the largest of the root 

 crops. From these names we get the English name 

 radish. The ancient naturalists give accounts of its 

 culture in many parts of Europe, although it was not 

 grown in England before 1548. Ovid (43 B. c.) men- 

 tions in his tale of Philemon and Baucis : 



" ( A garden salad was the third supply 

 Of endive, radishes and succory.' 



" The Greeks held it in very high esteem. In their 

 offerings to Apollo in the Temple of Delphus, they 

 offered turnips in lead, beets in silver, but radishes 

 were presented to the god in beaten gold. One Greek 

 writer (Moschus) devoted a whole book to the radish 

 alone. 



" The ancient Egyptians esteemed it for the oil made 

 from the seeds. They knew of its antiscorbutic quali- 

 ties, and also that its quality was improved by rapid 

 growth, which they induced by the addition of salt- 

 petre to the soil (the practical equivalent of our nitrate 

 of soda). 



" Both Pliny and Tragus state that they have seen 

 radishes that weighed forty pounds ; Amatus says sixty 



