Complete Text (Part 17)

tion. See Cabbage- maggot. Store in sand. RADISH, EDIBLE-PODDED. There are two edible- podded Radishes, of which the Madras will not flourish in our climate. The Rat-tailed Radish, Raphanus cau- datus {so called for its long, slender seed-pods, for which RADISH— RAPE 225 it is grown), may be grown in our summers, sowing in June. Treat as a summer Radish,drills twelve to eighteen inches apart, thin to nine inches. Pick the seed-pods when young, as they develop, and eat raw or else pickle. RAHPION (Campanula Rapunculus) is a biennial plant grown as an annual for its leaves and roots, used as a fall and winter salad. The seed is the smallest of all vegetable seeds, and should for sowing be mixed with sand or earth, and merely pressed into the soil. Although a biennial, the plant will sometimes run to seed in a hot summer, and to prevent this it should not be sown before June. The leaves may be gathered in the fall, and the roots should be stored in sand for use as needed. The flavor, either of leaves or roots, is not agreeable to all. Scrape the roots before using. Sow in June, to prevent running to seed. Soil should be rich, light, and loose. Shade the seed-bed ; or water at times, carefully, so as not to wash out the seed. Distances. — Drills nine inches or more apart, or sow broadcast. Depth. — Merely press the seed into the soil. Thin to at least four inches each way. Culture should be frequent. RAPE is sometimes grown as a salad plant, like mustard or cress. THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES RHUBARB or Pieplant {Rheum RhaporUkum) is grown for its leaf-stalks, used in desserts, pies, and wine. It is a perennial plant, usually propagated by root-divisions, as the seeds seldom give good results. " Not more than fifteen per cent can be counted on to be true to the varietal type." (Cyclopedia of American Horticulture.) Rhubarb should have its place in every home garden ; six plants are enough for the ordinary family, and if the roots are well fed and occasionally pruned or reset they will yield for twenty years or more. Rhubarb will stand considerable neglect, but for good results requires high feeding with manure as well as with fertilizers. It is usually mulched in the fall with manure, in the northern states, for an early start, since it is chiefly prized for its earliness. In the spring the fine part of the manure may be forked into RHUBARB 227 the ground, the coarser left for a summer mulch, though the leaves of the spring crop may be left on the ground for the same purpose. Rhubarb may be forced while in the ground, for an extra-early crop; or the roots may be lifted and forced in the house, after which they are of very little use and should be thrown away. Unless the seed is needed the flower-stalk should be cut off, since to develop seed weakens the roots. Varieties are very few, and good results depend upon feeding the plants rather than on variety. A winter Rhubarb has lately been advertised, of special use for forcing under glass. The plant has no troublesome enemies or dis- eases. Soil should be rich and deep, and for an early start it should be warm and quick. Prepare the bed, or the hill for each plant, to a depth of two feet if possible, working in much compost or well-rotted manure. If the plants are to be raised from seed no such prepara- tion is necessary. See under Rhubarb from seed, below. Distances. — Set roots four to five by three to four feet. Four by four feet is the usual garden distance. Roots should have one to three good eyes. Depth. — Set roots with the eyes one to three inches under ground. Plant roots in fall or spring. In colder places spring planting is usual. Culture consists merely in keeping down weeds and preserving the mulch until the leaves cover the ground. 228 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES Fertilizer. — Dig manure around the plants in spring, and dress with a good general fertilizer in midsummer. Besides this, dress monthly with nitrate of soda or liquid manure. Pick lightly from roots in the second year. "Pull- ing" the stalks is a special knack, and care should be taken not to tear the crown. Pull downward and out- ward with a quick pull or jerk. After the second year the stalks may be pulled, moderately, all through the summer, or cropped more heavily until about the mid- dle of June. Do not exhaust the plants. For summer use choose the smaller stalks. Cut off all seed-stalks. Protect in fall by a mulch, three to four inches thick, of coarse or fine manure, compost, or earth. Level this in spring and work the fine manure into the ground. The plant will live through the winter with- out the mulch, or with only the protection of its own leaves, but the mulch prevents deep freezing and so allows an earlier start. Rhubarb from seed is scarcely profitable. Plant the seed in drills twelve to eighteen inches apart, at a depth of about one inch. Thin to six inches or more and give good culture. In the fall or spring take up the promis- ing plants and set in their permanent positions. Forcing. — Rhubarb may be forced in the field by placing over each plant a barrel, half-barrel, tub, or box, having no top or bottom, and piling around it RHUBARB 229 heating manure; the plants may be picked until the unforced plants begin to yield, and no ill results will follow. Or Rhubarb may be forced by taking up the roots and allowing them to freeze thoroughly. Preferably, keep frozen for a month or more, though with thawing and freezing good results have been obtained. They should then be placed in a dark and cool cellar (tem- perature at 55° to 60"), and packed closely in good rich earth. Cover three to four inches, keep moist; water but slightly until the shoots appear, when give more water. Forced in the dark and in not too hot a place, the best results are gained. Ether forcing is the same as the above, but the plants are first treated with the fumes of ether in a close box, ten cubic centi- meters of liquid ether being used to a cubic foot of space. Expose forty-eight hours, and then pack in earth. Much greater results are thus obtained. Plants not too much forced by the ordinary method may be put back in the field and used again after two or more years. Ether forcing exhausts them entirely. Three or four pickings are usual from forced roots. 280 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES Renewing. — Plants in the field should be taken up every three or four years, separated, and parts reset in the same ground. Or with less trouble the outer parts of the roots may be cut off with a spade, without dis- turbing the part to be left in the ground. If this is done in the fall the parts taken away may be forced; or in either fall or spring they may be reset. Pests. — Against the Rhubarb-beetle cut the leaves regularly, making sure that all the early leaves are re- moved by midsummer, thus destroying eggs and larvae. Burn the leaves. Destroy all neighboring dock plants. ROCAMBOLE {Allium Scorodoprasum) is a hardy perennial plant of the Onion family, grown as an annual for its compound bulbs, which are used as garlic. The plant seldom produces seed, and may be propagated by its "tops" or bulblets, produced at the end of the twisted stem, but it is grown more usually and profitably by planting the cloves or parts of the bulbs. The flavor is milder than garlic. Soil. — Light, rich, quick. Distances. — Rows a foot or more apart, bulblets or cloves three inches or more in the row. Depth. — Barely cover. Sow in early spring, or in mild climates set the bulbs in the fall. Lift the bulbs when the tops die, and store like onions or garlic. ROQUETTE 281 ROCKET, ROCKET-SALAD, or ROQUETTE (Eruca sativa) is a salad-plant, well known in France and England, but little cultivated here. It is occasionally used as a pot-herb, but in any case only the young leaves should be used; they have a flavor of horse-radish. For best results they should have plenty of water. The plant bolts in heat and is best grown only in spring and fall. Soil. — Rich and moist. Distances. — Rows a foot apart. Thin to three to four inches in the row. Depth. — One-half inch. Sow thinly in May, and every two or three weeks until June. Sow again in August for a fall crop. ' Culture. — Water if necessary ; preserve the surface mulch. The plants should be kept growing. Fertilizer. — Nitrate of soda or liquid manure, weekly. Pick only the young leaves. ROCKET, TURKISH (Bunias orientalis) is a hardy perennial plant grown for its young leaves and tips, used as salad or as a pot-herb. Soil. — Light and quick. Distances. — Rows two feet apart. Depth. — About one inch. Sow in fall in mild climates, thickly; otherwise in spring, thinly in the rows. 232 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES Thin to one foot in the rows. Pick the leaves as wanted when once the plant is established. Mulch over winter north of New York city. ROSEMARY, or Old Man (Rosmarinus officinalis), is a half-hardy evergreen under-shrub, grown for its leaves, used in seasoning and in household medicine. It is propagated by seed, by cuttings, by root-divis- ions, and by layering its branches. The plant requires a light protection in cold places, and should besides have a sheltered position. Varieties are: Common or Green -Leaved, the hardiest; Silver- Striped; Gold- Striped. Soil should be light and warm. lHstances. — Two feet apart each way. Depth of seed, about one inch ; of root-divisions and rooted cuttings or layers, as before. Sow seed in spring, in seed-bed, in drills twelve inches apart, and thin to six inches apart in the drills. Set the plants in their permanent positions in fall, or in cold climates best in spring. Take cuttings in spring or summer, and water till established. Layer the ends of the lower branches until rooted, when cut off, take up, and reset, preferably in spring. Pick the leaves as wanted for use, or dry and store. ROSEMARY— RUE 233 Protect in winter with a light mulch, or tie in straw if possible. Prune moderately in winter or early spring. RUE, or Herb-of-Grace (Ruta graveolens\ is a small hardy perennial evergreen shrub, grown for its leaves, which are used in seasoning, though their taste is to some even offensive, besides being bitter. They are raised from seed, root-divisions, or cuttings. The plant requires little protection beyond a sheltered position, except in the colder parts of the country, where it should be mulched with leaves or litter. Soil preferably light, well drained and limed. Distances. — Nine by eighteen inches. Depth. — About one inch. Sow in spring when heavy frosts are past, in seed- bed, rows apart as convenient. Thin when well up to three inches. Transplant to permanent positions at about six inches. Take cuttings in early summer, and set in seed-bed, six inches or more each way, watering till established. Transplant the following spring, or in mild climates in the fall. Set root-divisions in spring. Depth as before. Pick the leaves as wanted. Or dry and store. RUSH-NUT. SeeChufa. ?84 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES RUTABAGA, or Swedish Turnip (Brassfca cam- pcstrU), is a plant grown for its roots, used chiefly for stock -feeding, but also for table use. It has a richer flesh than the Turnip, and requires a longer season. Being hardy to frost, it may be left in the ground late before digging; it will live over winter, but should not be left unless wanted for seed. Ruta- baga is usually sown in June for a fall crop. There are several varieties, and for table use the finest-fleshed should be chosen. (Rutabaga is called by the Eng- lish Tumip-rooted Cabbage, a name which we reserve for Kohlrabi.) .foU. — -A rich medium loam in good tilth, not recently manured. Distances.- — Drills twelve to eigh- Fig.ii). Rutabw. teen inches apart. Depth. — One inch or more. Saw when the ground is fit, and monthly until June or early July. Thin to six to nine inches in the rows. Culture. — Maintain the surface mulch. Fertilizer is not necessary if the ground is previously well enriched, unless nitrate of soda is used. See under Turnip. Dig after frosts have come. SAFFRON — SAGE £85 Store in a cellar, in sand, or in a barrel. Diseases and pests. See Turnip. SAFFRON {Crocus sativus) is a bulbous plant grown for the pistils of its flowers, which are used in flavoring, and for coloring cookery. As the work of gathering the pistils is minute and laborious, the plant is seldom grown in gardens. Set out bulbs or corms in early June, and cultivate the ground until the flowers have been picked and the foliage has died. Take up the bulbs, separate them from their small offsets, and reset in about a month, for them to root for the winter. Soil should be light and loose, well limed, and sunny. Mulch lightly over winter. SAGE (Salvia officinalis) is a half-hardy perennial, shrubby plant grown for its leaves, used chiefly in seasoning, but still to some extent also used in domestic medicine. They are best when fresh. The plant is prop- agated by cuttings, root-divisions, from seed, and by layering. Sage is extensively grown commercially, either in permanent plantations or in rotation with other crops. In ordinary garden practice it is kept in clumps, which should be divided and reset, or at least root-pruned, every year or two. There are several varieties, but the broad-leaved green kinds are the best for general culture, although some of them produce no 286 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES seed. The narrow-leaved and red varieties do not always come true from seed and are more delicate. Soil a medium loam, well drained, and with manure worked in. Distances, — In seed-bed, for seeds and cuttings, rows apart as convenient. Thin seedlings to three to six inches. In permanent positions, twelve by twelve inches or twelve by eighteen inches. Depth for seed, one inch. For root-divisions, rooted cuttings, and layers, as they stood before. Take cuttings in spring, and set in moist, shady seed-bed. From mature wood the cuttings will be ready to transplant in six weeks. From immature, the cut- tings should remain till next spring, but will give best results. Take layers in spring, having rooted them the pre- vious summer. Take up roots in spring. Sow in protected seed-bed in early spring, or under glass in March; thin to six by six inches as the plants grow, and set out when frosts are past. Sow in open ground in May. Cut when the plants are well established, but do not cut too heavily the first year; once is enough. With old plants three cuttings are possible in a year, taking the first and best before the flower-stems appear; cut oft' the whole top. With plants grown as annuals only one cutting is usual. SAGE— SALSIFY 237 Protect in winter with a mulch. Reset permanent beds every year or two years, by taking up and dividing. Or prune the roots every year, by cutting off the outer clumps, which may be reset. Ah an annual, Sage may be sown in spring (under glass, in seed-bed, or in the open ground, as above) and picked in the fall. Dry the leaves, and rub to powder. Store for use. Fig. 114. Salsify seedlings. Two-thirds natural size SALSIFY, Salsafy, Oyster Plant, or Vegetable Oyster (so called for its taste of oysters) is Tragopogon porrifolius, a biennial plant grown as an annual for its roots. The young leaves are sometimes used as salad. It is hardy to frost, and may be sown early; a long-season plant, it requires the ground for the whole THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES season. Its seeds, which are really fruits, are long and thin, difficult to sow in the seed-drill. The roots, like those of parsnip, can be left in the ground all winter with- out detriment. Varieties are few, and are distinguished chiefly by size, the largest of them be- ing small compared with other root-crops. See also Scolymus and Scorzonera, which may be used as substitutes. Soil. — Should be deep, cool, . rich, and not recently manured. f ^M o/' ' J ^ It should be freshly and deeply dug. Distances. — Rows twelve inches or more apart, preferably eighteen inches. Depth. — About one inch. Sow in early spring, or in May at the latest, six inches. Thinnings may be transplanted, but the tap-root should not be in- jured. Culture. — Preserve the surface mulch, until the tops cover the ground. Fertilizer. — Dig in, before sowing, a good general fertilizer, rich in potash. Thin to five SALSIFY— SAMPHIRE 239 Dig when of large enough size, as wanted. Or leave over winter and dig in spring. Store roots taken for winter use, in sand or away from air. Diseases and pests are few and not troublesome. SALSIFY, BLACK. See Scorzonera. SALSIFY, SPANISH. See Scolymus. SAMPHIRE (Crithmum maritimum) sometimes called Sea-fennel, St. Peter's herb, and Parsley Pert, is a hardy perennial, grown (with some difficulty except at the seashore) for its leaves and young shoots, used in seasoning, salads, and pickles. It is propagated by root- division, or by seeds sown as soon as ripe. Golden Samphire (Inula crithmifolia) is not so pleasant to the taste as true Samphire, but