188 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



Purslane is an annual plant and a native of tlie more 

 soutliern x^arts of America. It is used for salads, &c., 

 though, less frequently than formerly. It is in habit 

 somewhat recumbent, like Portulacas generally. A 

 somewhat red-tinted and a green variety exist. The 

 latter is considered most hardy. For an early sup- 

 ply sow in pots, and transplant out on to a sunny 

 site and a free sandy soil. Out-door sowings may 

 be made in similar situations from ]\Iay 20th, on- 

 ward, according to demand. All plants should be 

 planted or thinned out to distances of eight inches 

 apart. 



Radish. (Raphanus sativus). French, Radis, or 

 Petit Rave; German, Rettiff, or Radieschen ; Spanish, 

 liahano. — The Eadish is probably one of the most 

 generally esteemed, grown, and used amongst all 

 salad plants. Being so perfectly hardy, easily grown, 

 tender, and piquant, it enjoys a just popularity. A 

 highly enriched free or sandy loam suits it admirably, 

 though it will grow in almost any kind of moderately 

 good soil. To succeed thoroughly in its culture, 

 however, the space intended for the successional 

 crops should be liberally manured and dug up deeply, 

 as soon after the month of November as possible. 

 Let the surface lie quite rough and fully exposed to 

 the winter until the time for sowing in the early 

 spring months. Sowings to be made at that time 

 must be influenced by the consideration whether 

 any are to be frame-grown or forced for the earliest 

 supply, or not. When such is the case, a good 

 sowing of seeds should be made about one month 

 before the frame-grown crop is likely to be all used. 

 On the contrary, where frame culture is not resorted 

 to, an early sowing should be made during a mild 

 interval towards the end of the month of February. 

 This sowing should be made upon a warm sunny 

 aspect, and the seed-bed covered over thinly with 

 straw until germination commences. Afterwards 

 mats should be placed over them upon hoops during 

 sharp weather. Other sowings, which will not re- 

 quire such assistance, should be made during the 

 month of March, and near to the 10th and 25th 

 of the month, from which time forward slight sow- 

 ings should be made about every eight days. 



It is the need of these frequent sowings which 

 causes crops to be so irrregular in the matter of 

 quality and quantity. Sowings made at too long 

 intervals apart result in fluctuative crops of pro- 

 duce often old, tough, and stringy. A Eadish to be 

 meritorious must be quickly grown into goodlj' size, 

 and used when ready. Length or size does not consti- 

 tute merit, and all but invariably they are permitted 

 to grow too old before being drawn. 



As the season advances and dry weather prevails, 

 it is imperative to keep the beds well watered, and 



it is owing to the need of this that good crops axe 

 rarely obtainable after the summer season has once 

 set in. There is an excellent method of obtaining 

 good produce early wherever large heaps of manure, 

 with the heat somewhat exhausted, lie around, as 

 they do in connection with farmyards, &c., gener- 

 ally. By simply placing six inches of soil over the 

 surface of such, and sowing seeds thereon, a rapidly 

 formed crop of no mean merit will result. The 

 Turnip-rooted varieties are hardiest, and may with 

 advantage be sown for late autumn and winter 

 crops ; sowings for which should be made during 

 the months of October and Xovember. 



Eadishes are only perfectly and really tender 

 before the third and fourth or rough leaves expand, 

 or grow ; and in view of having a goodly-sized root- 

 base or radix, prior to the formation of such, it is 

 very essential that the soil be deep, fine, and rich as 

 ad\'ised, and that each plant have ample space to 

 grow in. Thick sowing and its results are very 

 antagonistic, and must not be permitted. 



Besides the root-base, the rougli leaves upon these, 

 when so far advanced as to ]Di'oduce them, are also 

 severed from the plants and used in salads. The 

 Turnip-fly often attacks them at that stage, and must 

 be kept at bay by thin dustings with lime or soot, 

 at such times as the leaves are damp with the dew of 

 early morning. 



Frame-grown, or forced Eadishes, require a bed 

 of fermenting material, as a base, covered over w^ith 

 soil and a frame, the former in depth according to 

 the earliness or otherwise of the season when seeds 

 are sown. And this may range between the months 

 of December and March inclusive. Where the o^ye- 

 ration is undertaken, however, it is injudicious to be 

 late. For December the bed should consist of about 

 three feet of fermenting materials, and it may be re- 

 duced by one foot or rather less per month as the 

 season advances towards April. A slight warmth 

 only is needed within, though a sufiiciency of mate- 

 rial should be placed together to keep any prevailing 

 severe frosts at bay. Upon the fermenting mate- 

 rial, six inches of such soil as suggested above must 

 be placed, elevating all up near to the glass, and the 

 seeds sown. Shut down close until germination 

 commences. Give air constantly afterwards as the 

 weather permits, maintaining a mean warmth of 

 about 50® within the space of the frame. This will 

 be ample, assuming that more warmth exists in the 

 bed. The latter wiU conduce to more active lower 

 growth than of surface or leaf, which will be ad- 

 vantageous ; good root-waterings with tepid water 

 must be given as needed, care being taken to thin 

 them out if too thick. Potatoes may be planted 

 beneath, or Eadishes may be sown in Potato- 

 frames. 



