The seeds are sown in any cool deep soil, generally in drills, about a foot separate, where they are to remain, after being thinned out to four inches apart. The plant is pe rennial but the roots are fit for use only the first autumn and winter after sowing, while as yet no flower-stem has risen ; the roots, like all others, becoming tough when the flowers are produced. To avoid the risk of the plants run ning to flower the first season, the seed is not sown till the middle of April. If a few ,strong plants be left, they yield seeds freely the following year ; or the plant may be pro pagated by slips in the manner of skirrets ; but the roots Salsify.
328. Salsify., or purple goat's-beard, (Tr.zgopogon /101' nfolius, Syngencsia Polygamia ;Equalis ; Cichoracee, Juss.) is a biennial plant, a native of some parts of England, but not common ; figured in English Botany, t. 638. It is the salsifis or cercifis of the French. The root is long and tapering, of a fleshy white substance ; the herb smooth, glaucous, and rising three or four feet high ; the leaves re sembling those of the leek, as intimated in the trivial name ; the flowers of a dull purple colour, closing soon after mid day ; the seed, NS in other species of goat's-heard, remark able for having attached to it a broad feathery crown. It has been cultivated for a century past in our gardens, but Gerarde and Parkinson do not mention it ; while they re commend the yellow goat's-beard, Trago/togon pratensis, which is now neglected. Salsify roots, boiled or stewed like carrots, have a mild sweetish flavour. The stalks of year-old plants are sometimes cut in the spring, when about four or five inches high, and dressed like asparagus. Sal sify is at present, however, hut little attended to.
It is sown in April, and thinned, like similar crops, to six or eight inches apart. A mellow and deep soil affords the best plants. They may remain in the ground all winter, and be taken up as wanted. If two or three roots be left, or be transplanted in the autumn, they will afford abun dance of seed the following year.
1?adisit.
329. The Radish (Raphanus sativus, L. ; Tetradynamia Siliyuosa; nat. ord. Cruciferx) is an annual plant, originally from China. It is mentioned by Gerardc ; and was proba bly known in England long before his time. The leaves are rough, lyrate, or divided transversely into segments, of which tie inferior less ones are more remote ; the root fleshy,irsiform in some varieties, in others suhglobular ; white within, but black, purple, or white on the outside ; the flowers, pale violet, with large dark veins ; pods long, with a sharp beak.
There are two principal varieties, distinguished by the shapes of the roots already mentioned : I. With fusiform roots, the long-rooted or spindle-rooted radish, the rave of the French ; 2. With subglobular roots, the turnip-rooted radish, the radis of the French. The roots of both are
used principally in the way of salad, in winter and the ear ly part of spring. Formerly the leaves were often boiled and eaten ; but now the roots only are employed ; and as they are always used raw, the plant might, without impro priety, have been ranked under the title of Salads.
330. Of the spindle-rooted kind, the subvaricties much in cultivation are, the small-topped or shot t-topped purple, the leaves of which occupy little room ; and the pink or rose-coloured, or, as it is frequently called, the salmon ra dish. There is also an early dwarfish short-topped red, and an early short-topped salmon radish, sown for the first crops, and used for forcing. Of the turnip-rooted kind, there are several subvarietics. The small turnip-rooted white or Naples radishes, when they appear in the green market in spring, are not unfrequently mistaken for young turnips : they should be eaten young, when crisp and mild, being, when full grown, rather hot and harsh. There is also a small turnip-rooted red radish, and the queen radish, both red and white. The black turnip-rooted or Spanish radish (raifort of the French) has a dark coloured skin, but is white within ; though rather coarser than the others, it is much esteemed for autumn and winter use.
Radishes are sown for the earliest crop in the beginning of November, in a sheltered border, or in front of a pinery or -green-house ; and they are ready for drawing early in March. More seed is sown in December or January : and sowings are continued once a fortnight till April, so as to secure a succession of young roots as they may be wanted.
Any sort of light soil answers, but it should be of suffi cient depth to allow the long roots to penetrate easily. A slight covering of fern (pferis) is found very useful in the early spring months, when sharp frosts occur : this cover ing may be raked off in the day-time, and restored at night, without much injury to the leaves of the young radishes. When very dry weather occurs in the end of March, the crops are regularly watered. They who wish to have large radishes are sometimes at the pains to prick a number of holes with the finger, and to drop a seed into each hole. Only a little earth is then tumbled into it, the greater part of the hole being left vacant. The root is thus induced to swell, and long and semi-transparent radishes are procured, Some gardeners mix spinach seed with their later sowings or radishes ; so that when the radishes are drawn, the other soon covers the ground. Others sow lettuce and onions along with radishes. if radishes are to be drawn when small, they are allowed to stand at two inches only apart ; otherwise they have twice that space or more allowed them. When crowded, they are apt to become stringy in the root.