Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-12-29
Winter Radishes,

winter hdO1SneS.
The radish Is q vegetable that is in
demand in limited quantities through
out the entire year. The poorer
classes of buyers are content to use
the large black radish Or the horse
radish during winter. TheseIroots are
easily kept in pits like other roots, ex-
cept that they need to be kept very
cool, the horseradish in particula'
keeping best when slightly frozen.
There is, however, q considerable
and growing demand for fresh radishes
grown under glass in winter. This
demand increases in the latter part of
the winter, and in spring reaches quite
q large amount. In April, however,
the outdoor radishes from Norfolk be-
gin to arrive so freely that the price
usually falls to q point where they
cannot be proftably grown under
glass.
The culture Of radishes under glass
is very simple, and is easily done
either in the greenhouse or hotbed In
winter, and in spring in g cold frame.
There are two varieties in use chiefly
for. forcing, the long scarlet and the
French breakfast. The long scarlet
usually sells at nearly double the price
of the other in market, but it costs
about double to produce it, since it
demands more room IN the bed and
more time to grow it In perfection.
Growers often have both kinds so as
to satisfy all customers.
To grow the large scarlet radlsh will
demand g. fine sandy loan, well en-
riched with fine horse dung. 1t is the
custom of many growers to pass the
loan through a gravel screen of three
quarters of an inch mesh, so as to
take out all stones and Jumps, for
whenever q young radish strikes q
lump of loan or stone 1t will bend
around it, making q crooked, unsal-
able radish. Where it Is not con-
yenient to screen the loan it may be
beaten up fine withforks and rakes by
repeated working. TogrOw the French
breakfast radish less care Is needed,
since they are not spoiled by growing
crooked III lumpy soil.
The temperature required to grow
good radishes is rather lower than for
lettuce, and about the came as for
dandelions. They are often grown
successfully upon an an sold heat
that has just produced a crop OF let
tuce. When fresh heat OF manure Is
to be used, care will be needed to air
the bed very freely for the first few
weeks both night and day. to prevent
their growing too fast and becoming
"draWn.n They will not however,
bear hard frost while growing fast,
and If by any accident the bed should
freeze, it will be the best to thaw it
out If possible without direct sum
light, by keeping the mats upon the
bed during the middle Of the day. Ii
they can be thawed out in the shade
a slight freeze will do no harm beyond
checking growth a little.
"The seed is usually sown by hand
rather thickly in drills three inches
apart, and the plants thinned out,
when they begin to show g. third leaf,
to a distance of one to one and one
half inches in the row, this for the
French breakfast radleh. The long
scarlet should have two to three inches
In the row. When the whole length OF
hotbed is to be seeded at onceit can
be done very expeditiously with a
common hard seed drill, running the
machine by means of p rake handle
dashed across the handles and worked
by two men, one at each side OF the
bed.
The radish seed if fresh will come up
in three or four days, and in four or
five weeks from sowing will be ready
for pulling, and can usually be cleaned
up in eight weeks from sowing seed.
OF course, In severe and dark weather
this time will be extended onehalf or
more.
Radishes are usually punched ten IN
g. bunch, and much depends in selling
them upon having them neatly tied,
and having all inferior roots tied sep
arately; for the radishis used quite as
much as table decoration among the
wealthy as for eating, and a bunch OF
them should therefore present as in
viting an appearance as q bunch of
flowers. Thelong scarlet radish usual
ly sells at 81 to $1.25 per dozen
punches IN winter, and the French
breakfast at about half these prices.
The yield is usually about 81 for each
3x6 feet hotbed sash, and as there is
little risk in growing them, either from
insects or disease. they are regarded
as a fairly profitable crop. They may
be grown in spring by starting the seed
under glass and taking it off IN April