262 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



then take from the first bed 9 inches of the top 

 soil, laying it upon the adjoining bed ; after 

 which take out an opening at one end of the 

 bed, in the common way of trenching, 15 inches 

 deep from the present surface; then level the 

 bottom, upon which plant a row of sets across 

 the beds at 9 inches apart each way, with their 

 crowns upright; afterwards dig the next trench 

 the same width and depth, turning the earth 

 into the first trench over the row of sets, thus 

 proceeding, trench after trench, to the end. 

 Where more than the produce of one bed is 

 required for the supply of the family for twelve 

 months, the third bed is next to be planted, 

 which treat as directed for the first, only observ- 

 ing to lay the earth on the fourth, and so on 

 for any number of beds. Upon every alternate 

 bed which is not planted a dwarf annual crop 

 may be grown. The plants must be kept clear 

 of weeds during summer, and as soon as the 

 leaves decay in autumn let them be carefully 

 raked off ; in the following February 18 inches 

 of the earth of the unplanted bed must be laid 

 as light as possible, and equally over the beds 

 that are planted, then trench and plant the 

 vacant beds exactly in the same manner as 

 before directed. The following autumn the 

 first planted horse-radish may be taken up by 

 opening a trench at one end of the bed to the 

 bottom of the roots, so that the sticks or roots 

 of the crop may be taken up entire, which for 

 size and quality will be such as have not gene- 

 rally been seen. The following February the 

 one-year-old crop will require additional earth 

 as before directed, which must, of course, be 

 taken from those beds which are now vacant." 

 Mr Judd, as described in the work last quoted, 

 takes about 3 inches of the top part of the roots 

 of the crop to be taken up, and those he cuts off, 

 so as to leave only about a quarter of an inch 

 under the crown. He trenches the ground 

 2 feet deep, and if he applies manure, puts it at 

 the very bottom of the trench. " For if not 

 done," he says, " the horse-radish, which always 

 puts out side roots, would send out such large 

 side roots from the main root, in search of the 

 dung lying contiguous, as materially to injure 

 the crop. In planting, holes are made 18 inches 

 apart every way, and 16 or 18 inches deep. 

 The root-cuttings are let down to the bottom of 

 the holes, which are afterwards filled with 



finely-sifted coal-ashes, and the surface of the 

 bed is raked over." We trench our ground for 

 this crop 3 feet deep, laying on a good coat of 

 manure in the bottom, which is well mixed 

 with the soil 2 feet below the surface; the 

 plant-sets, as recommended by Knight above, 

 deprived of all their lateral small fibres, are 

 dropped in holes made by a 24-inch dibble, 

 gauged to penetrate to the required depth; the 

 holes are filled with the soil above, and the 

 roots left to find their way to the surface, 

 which they do in due season. We have also 

 planted the roots in single lines in trenches dug 

 out as for celery, and as the plants shot up- 

 wards, earthed them up during the first season. 

 The winter following we remove all the soil 

 from them, and cut off every fibre from the main 

 stem or root, and earth them up again, by which 

 means we have roots fit for use of a large size 

 and uniform shape. In November we take up as 

 much of the crop as is likely to be used during 

 winter, and pack it by in moderately dry sand 

 in the root-cellar, where it is easily got at when 

 required. 



The Scopula forficularis, the garden pebble- 

 moth, is the only insect we know of that is 

 injurious to the horse-radish. This insect, in 

 its perfect state, measures rather more than an 

 inch across the wings when fully expanded. The 

 uppermost pair are hazel-coloured, with four 

 stripes, two of which are very distinct, while 

 the other two are faintly traced. The body 

 and under wings are whitish, and on the latter 

 near the middle there is a curved brownish 

 streak, and another of a blackish colour on the 

 margin. The first brood of caterpillars make 

 their appearance in May, while the second do 

 not appear until autumn. They are from 8 to 

 10 lines in length; head of a light-brown colour; 

 body yellowish-green, with longitudinal black 

 stripes. The means chiefly employed for their 

 destruction are, dusting the plants with white 

 hellebore powder in a dry state ; or caustic lime 

 applied in their earliest state is equally effectual. 

 A species of mildew often appears on the foliage, 

 but, so far as we know, has little effect upon 

 them. This is Erysiphe leguminosarum Link. 



The European names are — Cranson, or Le 

 grand raifort, in French ; Ramolaccio in Italian ; 

 Rabano in Spanish ; Merrettig in German ; 

 Loseelkraut in Dutch. 



