1162 PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS hoese-radish 



leaves, the pungent flavour of which is 

 highly valued as a salad. It belongs to 

 the Crueifer Order, and forms straggling 

 rosettes of much-divided leaves, and pro- 

 duces small white flowers when allowed 

 to fully develop. 



Culture. — This is very simple. 

 Seeds may be sown out of doors in any 

 ordinary soil raked over and made fine and 

 level. From March to September seeds 

 maybe sown thickly about once a fortnight 

 to keep up a good supply, and very slightly 

 ornot at all covered. During the season the 

 early and late sowings should be in warm 

 sheltered spots, but the summer sowings 

 are best in a moist and shaded position. 

 The seeds may be sown in drills or broad- 

 cast, and to hasten germination a mat 

 may be placed over the beds, but must be 

 removed immediately the seedlings ap- 

 pear. This is often in less than 24 hours 

 if the temperature is between 50° and 60° 

 Pahr. 



During the winter months the seeds 

 may be sown in shallow boxes of iine 

 rich sandy soil and placed in a hotbed. 

 It is an excellent plan to strain a piece of 

 porous canvas or sacking over the soil in 

 a shallow box, and then sow the seed upon 

 this. By this means the roots strike 

 downwards into the raoist soil, and when 

 a crop of salad is produced it may be 

 cut off easily and without risk of getting 

 it mixed up with the gritty soil. 



Varieties. — The Common Garden 

 Cress is the one most extensively grown, 

 especially in greenhouses. The leaves 

 are cut when the seed-leaves are formed, 

 and are neatly stacked upright in small 

 punnets for sale, just as if the plants had 

 been grown in them. The Curled Cress 

 is a hardier variety, and the leaves are 

 used for salads and garnishing. They 

 may be cut two or three times in succes- 

 sion, whereas the Plain-leaved Cress can 

 be cut only once. The Golden or Austra- 

 Uam Cress is a yellowish-leaved form 

 always readily recognised. 



Mustard and Eapb (see p. 1164) are 

 grown in the same way as the Plain- 

 leaved Cress. If, however, the Mustard or 

 Bape is to be used at the sanie time as 

 the Cress, the seeds of the latter should 

 be sown about two or three days before 

 those of the former. 



HOREHOUND (Marrubium vul- 

 gaeb). — • A hardy European perennial 

 sometimes found wild in Britain in waste 



places. It has stout branched stems 

 12-18 in. high, and broadly ovate orenate 

 much-wrinkled and leathery leaves about 

 1 in. or more in length. It belongs to 

 the order Labiatse (see p. 742) and is 

 sometimes cultivated for its leaves, which 

 are used for flavouring, and also as a 

 remedy for coughs. 



Culture. — Horehound will grow in 

 any garden soil. Seeds may be sown 

 in March and April out of doors where 

 the plants are to grow, and they require 

 no attention beyond thinning out a little 

 at first if too thick. Established plants 

 may also be divided in spring to increase 

 the stock if necessary. 



HORSE-RADISH (Cochleaeia 

 Aemoeacia). — A British and European 

 perennial plant with long, stout, cylindrical 

 rootstocks, and oblong deeply crenate or 

 serrate shining green leaves 8-16 in. long, 

 on stalks about a foot in length. It 

 belongs to the Crueifer Order described at 

 p. 201. 



Vulture amd Prcypagation. — Horse- 

 radish is grown for its roots, which are 

 scraped into slender shreds and used 

 as a condiment like mustard with roast 

 beef &o. It is often found growing in any 

 haU-wild or out-of-the-way part of the 

 garden in a more or less neglected state, 

 and its rootstocks are hence often stringy 

 and bitter in flavour. To obtain good 

 results. Horse-radish should be grown in 

 deep, rich, and well-drained soil in open 

 sunny situations. Manure may be 

 appUed some time previous to planting, 

 but it is better to keep the roots away 

 from contact with it in a fresh state. 



Horse-radish is usually increased by 

 cuttings of the roots. The thinner por- 

 tions are cut into pieces about a foot long, 

 and planted in a sloping or almost hori- 

 zontal position in the soil (which has 

 already been well prepared) in such a way 

 that the crown is about one or not more 

 than two inches beneath the surface. 

 If planted perpendicularly the roots often 

 branch a good deal, and are of very 

 little use in that condition. The pieces 

 may be planted in rows 1^2 ft. apart, 

 each piece being 9-12 in. apart from 

 the next. This work is usually done in 

 January and February or March, when 

 the ground is in good condition. The 

 following autumn the roots may be fit 

 for use, but it is better to leave them 

 until the following year. 



