Jan.} 



THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



79 



a week or ten days than the salmon radish, even if both be 

 sown at the same time ; besides, the latter kind runs more to 

 leaf than the former. 



The best method is, to sow a little of the short-topped kind 

 at least twice this month, in the beginning, and middle ; and 

 sow some more about the latter end likewise, on the same 

 situation. 



A little carrot-seed may be mixed and sown with the radish- 

 seed, for if the radishes should fail, the carrots may still suc- 

 ceed; and, if both succeed, a double advantage will be ob- 

 tained ; for when the radishes are pulled up, a crop of carrots 

 still remains, which will come in at a very early season: or 

 instead of the carrots, a small quantity of round-leaved spinach 

 and some lettuce may be sown, and when the radishes come 

 off, these will come in. This is the common practice of the 

 London gardeners, and is generally successful. 



Sow the radish-seeds tolerably thick at this season ; for as 

 soon as the plants begin to appear, the weather, if it should 

 prove severe, will cut off some, and the birds also being apt to 

 attack them greedily, will destroy the rest ; sow the seed evenly 

 on the surface, and either rake it in, or cover it with fine earth 

 from the alleys, about half an inch deep ; observing, that if 

 the weather should set in frosty after the seed be sown, it will 

 be of gi'eat advantage to spread some dry long litter over the 

 beds two or three inches thick, which will keep out the fi'ost, 

 and forward the vegetation of the seed. 



When the plants begin to appear, proper means must be used 

 to protect them from the frost and birds, by spreading straw, 

 fern, or thin mats over the surface, there to continue till the 

 plants have attained a proper size : and if the weather prove 

 severe after the plants appear, cover them also occasionally 

 with straw, &c., which will be a great protection from the 

 injury of the frost ; and if carefully laid on and taken off, it 

 will neither break nor hurt them, using a fork in laying it on, 

 and a light wooden rake to di'aw it off into the alleys, where it 

 must be suffered to lie ready to throw over the plants every 

 night, and even in the day, as occasion may require ; the cover- 

 ing should be applied every night, when there is any likelihood 

 of frost, but must be kept off in fine weather. The covering of 



