The Canadian Horticulturist. 241 



PREPARATION FOR NEXT SEASON'S RADISHES. 



ADISHES, grown for market, give more profit than any other garden 

 crop, except, perhaps, lettuce. The culture is simple, for the crop 

 has but few enemies. Still, to make it profitable, it must be early, 

 tender and crisp. To secure all of these characteristics I had last 

 year's hotbed spaded over occasionally during the summer and fall to 

 thoroughly mix the top soil with the manure, and get it as ripe as 

 possible. After getting sufficiently moist a good cover was put 

 over it. On March 5 this was all thrown out and fresh manure was put at the 

 bottom, about a foot deep, and trampled firm. This compost was then put on 

 the manure some six inches deep. As soon as the bed was ready seed was 

 sown in rows five inches apart. These were made by placing a plank five inches 

 wide, with straight edges, across the bed to stand on, the short way. A line 

 drawn with the finger was made and the seed sown. Then the plank was turned 

 over and the operation repeated. Standing on this plank gives the bed the 

 necessary firmness. Each line was covered with half an inch of soil as soon as 

 sown. This bed was 6 by 1 2 feet and covered with ordinary tobacco bed can- 

 vas, and when the weather was especially cold boards placed on top. A bed of 

 this size takes just two squares of canvas and all the radishes can be gathered 

 without getting on the bed. The manure, seed and labor of this bed cost $1.50. 

 From it I sold 160 dozen radishes at five cents per dozen, with enough left for 

 the family. This season I shall treat the bed the same way, except it will be 

 fifty feet long with one-third sown to lettuce. The Dark Scarlet turnip radish is 

 my favorite, it being tender and of good quality. — T. D. Baird, Muhlenberg 

 County, Ky. 



Sure Death to Thistles. — I had a piece of land that was badly infested 

 with the Canada thistle, and after putting on all the fresh stable manure I had I 

 plowed it the first time about June 25, a year ago, with a plow which cut off 

 everything as wide as I turned the furrow. I rolled and harrowed it down and 

 as soon as a few of the thistles made their appearance, which was about three or 

 four weeks after plowing, I again plowed it with the same plow about 4 in. deep, 

 and by several harrowings kept the surface mellow until about Aug. 20, when I 

 plowed it deep and sowed it to fall wheat. At the time of this plowing there was 

 not a thistle to be seen on the fallow and now after having cut the wheat, which 

 was a very fine crop, the field is perfectly clean and not a sign of a thistle or 

 other weed is to be seen. By thoroughly summer fallowing Canada thistles can 

 he killed in a year. — Farm and Home. 



