654 



RADICACEOUS ESCULENTS. 



mats, straw or fern, nightly and during great part of the day in snowy or 

 very cold windy weather. The seeds should be scattered so thin as not to 

 come up thicker than one and a half inches or two inches apart. For a bed 

 four feet six inches by twelve feet, two ounces of seed will be required. It 

 will come up in eight or ten days. Successional sowings may be made every 

 ten days or a fortnight, till the end of May ; afterwards the autumn radishes 

 may be sown till the end of July; and the winter radishes may be sown 

 from the beginning of July till the end of August. The autumn and winter 

 radishes are most conveniently cultivated in rows, and as they are allowed 

 to attain a considerable size before being used, the distance between the 

 rows may be nine inches or a foot, and the distance in the row six inches. 

 The winter radishes come into use in October, and being very hardy, may 

 either be left in the open ground through the winter, which is the practice 

 in Russia where the ground is covered with snow, and taken up as wanted ; 

 or stored up in ridges or cellars in the manner of turnips or carrots. The 

 tender green seed-pods used in pickling are taken from plants of the early 

 sorts that have been allowed to run to seed for that purpose in July and 

 August. The early radishes are so short a time on the ground that they 

 are seldom troubled with insects ; but in the case of seed-bearing plants, the 

 sparrows are very fond of the newly-formed seeds. In saving seed only one 

 kind ought to be grown in the same garden at the same time. The seed 

 will keep two j^ears. 



For forcing the 7'adis\ the details have already been given at length (1108). 



SuBSECT. X. — Oxalis Deppei, O. crenata, and Tropckolum tuberosum, 



1445. Deppes oxalis, O. Deppei^. C, is an oxalideous bulbous-rooted per- 

 ennial, a native of Mexico, introduced in 1827, and strongly recommended for 

 cultivation for its fusiform roots, which form a delicate vegetable dish ; and for 

 its stems, flowers, and leaves, for putting into salads. The roots, when the 

 plant is properly cultivated, become nearly four inches in length, and above 

 an inch in thickness, consisting of cellular matter without woody tissue or 

 sap vessels, not unlike, in texture and nutritious properties, the tubers of the 

 salep orchis, O. morio, L. " The roots are gently boiled with salt and 

 water, after being washed and slightly peeled ; they are eaten like aspa- 

 ragus, in the Flemish fashion, with melted butter and the yolk of eggs. 

 They are also served up like scorzonera and endive, with white sauce. They 

 form, in whatever way they are dressed, a tender succulent dish, easy to 

 digest, agreeing with the most delicate stomach. The analogy of the root 

 with salep indicates that its effect should be excellent upon all constitutions. 

 The young leaves are dressed like sorrel, put in soup, or used as greens ; 

 they have a fresh and agreeable acid, especially in spring. The flowers are 

 excellent in salad, alone, or mixed with corn salad, endive of both kinds, red 

 cabbage, beet-root, and even with the petals of the dahlia, which are deli- 

 cious when thus employed. When served at table, the flowers with their 

 pink corolla, green calyx, yellow stripes, and little stamens, produce a very 

 pretty effect." — (Professor Morren in Gard. Chron. 1841, p. 68.) Propa- 

 gation may be effected by the little scaly bulbs, which are found in abundance 

 round the collar of the plant. They require a light sandy soil, enriched 

 with decayed vegetable matter, and frequent watering in very dry weather ; 

 and Prof. Morren waters with liquid cow-dung in May. The bulbs may 



