The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-11-15
GREAT HORSE
RADISH FARMS.

Skirting the shores of the Delaware
river just below Riverview Cemetery
is the greatest horse-radish farming
district in the United States. Its i'm
mense product annually supplies the
markets of New York, Philadelphia
and other prominent eastern cities.
There are seven horse-radish fields in
the tract in all, ranging in area from
eight to fifty acres. The crop each
year varies, the weather and life-giv-
ing sediment from the river alone reg
ulating the quantity and quality of
the output.
The weather figures as a factor be-.
cause heavy dews aid the develop
ment of the plant. The dew contains
certain element Of oxygen that mate
rally assists the growth. But the
river, or rather the rich, coarse sand
that flows with it from the head of
tide water, is virtually the regulator
of good and bad crops.
To maintain prosperous horse
radish farm it is absolutely necessary
to have it located in a sort of
valley, where inundation occurs. The
flow of water over the radish freshens
the roots and gives to the ground
certain richness and sogginess that
cannot fail to be productive of large
crops. Twice year, and sometimes
more frequently, the Delaware, as if
by instinct, creeps across the shores
that divide it frcm the radish fields
and keeps them we'll watered for days
at time.
Snow, or the water into which it
melts, has no effect either one way or
the other on the radish. The water
from snow is entirely too clear and
free from substance to make it bene-
fetal. 1t requires the muddy river
water, containing manure and other
like ingredients, to rejoice the heart
of the horse radish grower.
In the insect world there is only
one known enemy of the horse-radlsh
and that is the ant. He breeds his
eggs on the sprouts and yearly de-
stroys large crops. Remedies of every
conceivable description have been ap-
piled in an effort to eradicate this
dreaded pest, but he is still doing
business at the old stand. Large
forces Of men are employed through
out the growing season chasing away
the ants and removing the harmful
weeds which grow up thick in the path
Of the radish plant. The utmost care
is necessary in watching the radish,
the cultivation of which is of such
an intricate character that even the
most thoroughly experienced growers
will admit that they Lave lots to learn
ABOUT the SUBJECT.
The preparatory work in the raising
of horse-radish begins about the first
Of March. The ground is plowed and
the radish is planted very much on
the same system as the potato. 1t
grows with wonderful rapidity, and
about the first of September fine,
broad |, af begins to spread about hip
high. This is called the ceder leaf or
winter top, and its presages the ap-
proach of the harvesting season.
When the top Of this leaf begins to
droop and die then the vigorous dig
ging begins. The harvesting season
extends through November.
Not all of the crop is taken from the
ground in the fall, however. A con-
siderable quantity is allowed to re-
main so that the spring trade may not
be ignored. The first leaf, or sum-
mer top, makes its appearance on the
radishes just about the time that the
blowing of the ground for the fall
crop is inaugurated.
The summer radishes taken from
their resting places in the early spring
and after being shipped away to the
buyers their former berths in the
ground are soon occupied by the plants
for the fall sales.
The horse-radishes are sold to the
dealers by the ton loads. A good crop
will realize two tons to the acre, the
market price for which is S. hund-
dred pounds. Some years ago the
raisers realized 50 hundred from the
plant. but competition has had dire
ful effect upon the prices. Furth-
ermore the growth Of the radshes is
not as heavy as ten or fifteen years
ago, a circumstance which the raisers
cannot explain.
The seven farms in the horse-radsh
district are operated by Joseph Van
derveer, Fritz Ely, William Lacy,
Charles Mcintyre, Andrew Cochran.
John Morris and Robert Muschert.
The veterans in the industry are Van
derveer and Lacs.
"Wcll," she said, in some astonish-
ment, as she looked up from her pa
per, "woman certainly is invading all
lines Of business. A girl burglar has
just been caught"
81 WONDER" he comm ented. thought
fully, ''it the time is coming when
timid man will be worried at night
for fear there's woman under the