Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-10-13
Horse. .Radish as Crop and Weed.

Your Nova Scotia inquirer who asks as
to culture and marketing, says he has
"been told by a pickle manufacturer
that horse-radish is the most profitable
crop that can be grown, as the supply
is limited and the root is used as the
basis of various condiments, etc." He
wishes information pro and con to assist
him in deciding whether to introduce
what may prove a pestilent weed"
There is considerable profit in good
crop of horse -radish, and good deal of
work, too; it would be more generally
raised but for the fact that the demand
for it is not very large, and when the
market is overstocked it is very hard to
sell it, and, moreover, the roots that
remain in the land after taking crop
are about as hard to kill as Canada
thistles, and good deal harder than
couch grass. They can be eradicated
by planting with cabbage and celery,
which demand constant hoeing, SO
that few will remain after one season s
tillage; but if neglected late in the
season the roots will live many years and
give good deal of trouble, especially in
grass lands.
The culture of this root for sale is con-
fined almost entirely to the market gar
dens near large cities, for the reason
that the land must be very rich and
fine to give a good crop, and the
eradication of the remaining roots after
the crop is taken off demands such cul-
ture as is not easily given except upon
vegetable gardens. The best land for
the purpose is deep, sandy loan, made
fine and rich by several years previous
tillage and manuring. The manure for
the crop is best applied in the fall by
ploughing under a heavy dressing OF
horse-manure, say twenty-five or thirty
tons per acre. Stiff or clay land will
not produce so good a crop; on such
soil the roots will be rough and hard to
clean for market. If manure must be
applied in spring it should be made as
fine as possible by composing. and
thoroughly mixed with the soil.
The land is prepared as early in
spring as it can be worked mellow, by
deep ploughing aud narrowing and
rolling, repeated until all Jumps are re,
duced to the depth of eight or ten inches
The land is then thrown into ridge:
with large one-horse plough, making
the ridges three and half to four feel
from centre to centre. The ridges are
then raked down by the hand rake, and
the marker run along the center of eact
ridge, making marks for setting the
roots two feet apart; some prefer te I
inches, but l think they get more small
roots. The sets are simply small bit.
OF root, about the size of pipe stem
cut up about an inch long. They art
dropped in the hole mades by the marke
1 nv. uaf i, fr. la ha,
an inch under ground; every piece il
pretty sure to grow. it is provided witt
AS many dormant buds as thistle root
and is about as hard 10 kill
The growth is slow at first, and it Il
the custom of the best gardeners to ust
the land on each side OF the ridges for
couple of rows of early beets, spinacl
or lettuce, which will be cleared away
before the radish makes much growth
all such early crops should be cleaned
up by the first or middle of July, wher
the horse -radsh will grow very rapid,
and soon cover the land with ranl
growth nearly four feet high, especial,
il the land is low and moist. The ridg
ing of the land is believed to favor
smooth growth of roots, and it certainl,
favors the early growth of the early crol
grown. between the rows of horse-radish
and makes it easier to dig the latter
The digging resembles the harvesting
of parsnips; IL is done in November TO
such portion of the crop as is wante'
for winter sale or for very early spring
but about half the crop is usually left il
the field over winter to be sold in Apr
and May as dug. The roots are dul
with dung-fork after running larg
plow as near as can be done to the ro,
without damaging the roots. They ar
then stored in pits for winter sale, jus
rs other roots,
The preparing for market is the mos
laborious part OF the handling of thi
crop; the roots are trimmed with knit
of all branches and assorted into tw
sizes, the larger being of the size of
mans finger or larger, the smaller
down to the size of apipe- stem. are sol
separately to the picking establish
nents; the larger are in considerable
demand among the provision trade
Each root after being trimmed must b
washed by placing it on wash-board !
tub of water and scrubbing it thol
oughly with stiff brush, which alon
win take the dirt Off clean, and give tn
roots an attractive appearance. Th
large roots sell ut five to seven cents pc
pound, and small for about one cen
The product is very valuable, depenC
ing upon the richness of the land an
the moisture OF the season; II will nj
do well on TOO dry land. Two TO for
tons per acre Is considered fair ave
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