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Show RA R A it fhould be often turn’d over to mix the Parts well together ; and the lighter this Earth is, the better will the Flowers thrive: But, as f beforefaid, it is by no means advifeable to fift or fcreen it too fine, for the Reafons already given. Some there are who mix rotten Tan, or Saw-duft with their Earth, to renderit light; but this is alfo bad for thefe Flowers, as Earth out of the Beds in which the Roots were blownthe precedent Year, and put in new, if youintend to plant Rananculus’s there again ; otherwife they will not thrive near fo well, notwithftanding you may add fome new Com. poft to the Be nd thisis Florifts do continually obfery T have feveral times experienc’d, efpeciallyif either of thefe be not fo rotten as to he e quite Joft its Appearance, and reduc’d to Earth: for RAPA; Turnip. The Chataéfers are s tho’ the Roots will often come up very ftrong, Which, when I have obferv’d, I have fearch’d to the Bottom of the Roots, and found fome Part of the Tan or Saw-duft lying near them, directed for the old Sorts, I fhall not repeat it here, but will only obferve, that thefe Flowers being more tender than the others, mutt be protected from hard Frofts and cutting fharp Winds, efpecially after Chriftmas, when their Flower-buds are forming ; for if they are neglected at that Seafon, their Flowers will rarely prove fair ; nor fhould you fuff them to receive too much Wet in Winter or Spring, which is equally as injurious to them as Froft. In planting of thefe Roots you Should obferve to place the femi-double Kinds, from whichyou intend tofave Seeds, in feparate Beds by themfelves, and not intermix them with the double Flowers, becaufe they will require to be treated in a different manner 3 for when the Flowers of the femi-double Kinds begin to fade, you fhould carefully euard them from Wet; for if they are permitted to re- ceive hard Rains, or are water’d at that Seafon, 1. Rapa; C. B.P. Root. fativa, rotun Round Garden radice candida. Turnip, witha white 2. Rapa ; terram viridi. Turnip, whofe Root i 3. Rapa; /fativa, C. B. P. Round G: purple Root. 4. Rapa ; /ativa, ig te. (C.D. P. with a rufty black 5: intus flave : _& Furnip, with a yellow Root bothwithin and without. ; 6. Rapa; ra oblongé, feu fumina. C.B. P. Oblong or Female Turnip. ” There are fome other Varieties of this Plant, which differ in the Shape or Colour of their Roots; but as they are only feminal Variations, fo it would be needlefs to enume- rate themin this Place, fince it is the firftand third Sort here mention’d, which are chiefly cultivated for the Table in England. The yellow Sort, and that with long Roots, were formerly more cultivated than at prefent s for it is now veryraretofee either of thefe brougat to the Markets, though, fome Years fince, they werefold in as great Plenty as the common roundSort. ul Gere the Seeds do rarely come to Maturity, or are fo weak, that fearce one in fifty of them will grow. When the Seed begins to ripen, (which may be eafily known by feparating fromthe Axis, and falling) you thould look it over every Day, gathering it as it ripens, forthere Turnips delight in a light, fandySoil, which will bea confiderable Diftance in the Seeds of muft not be rich, for in a rich Soil they grow the fame Bed coming to Maturity, at leaft a rank and are fticky ; but if ic be moift they Fortnight, and fometimes three Weeks or a will thrive the better, efpecially in a frelh Month. When you gather the Seed, it fhould Land, where they are always {weeter than not be expoz’d to the Sun, but {pread to dry upon an old worn-out Soil. pe ina fhady Place; after which, you muft put The common Seafon for fowing of Tu it up where the Vermin can’t come to it, until is any time fromthe Beginning of 7uly to the Time of fowing it. By this Method of fowing Seeds every Year, youwill not only increafe your Stock of Roots, but alfo raife new Varieti es, which may be greatly mended by changi ng the Seeds into frefh Grounds for if a Perfon conti- nually fows his Seed in the fame Garde n, many Years, they will not produce near fo fine Flowers, as if he Procured his Seeds at fome Diftance; which is alfo the Cafe with moft other Plants. Tt will alfo be neceffary to take away all the Middle RA prove dry, by the Fly, which will devour whole Fields of this Plant while young ; fo that where a {mall Quantity for the Supply of a Family is wanted, it will be abfolutely neceffary to water them in very dry Weather: And where a Perfon fows of thofe Seeds in April, May and Fune, it fhould always be upon a moift Soil, otherwife they feldom come to good, the Heat of the Weather at that Seafon Flower-cup vards turns to a by an intermedi adbere onboth§ and flourith very vigoroufly till the Beginning of February; yetatthat Seafon it is very common to have them die off in large Patches: which has detain’d the Moifture, and thereby rotted the Roots. The Manner of preparing the Beds, and the Diftance and Method of planting the Roots, being exactly the fame as hath been already niSe of Auguft, or alittle later ; th not advifeable to fow them muchafter, t if the Autumn fhould not prove very mic they will not have time to Apple before Winter. But notwithftanding this is the general Seafon in which the greateft Part of oe nips are fown in the Country, yet aboutC Eondon they are fown fucceffively from Marca to dugujt, by thofe who propagate them iP fupply the Markets with their Roo ut sis is a great Hazard oflofing thofe which fown earlyy in the Year, if the Seafon — prove: being too great for them upon adry Soil: But thofe which are fown towards the Middle or Jatter End of Fuly, do commonly receive fome reftefhing Showers to bring them forward ; without which, it is very common to haye’em all deftroy’d. ‘Thefe Seeds fhould always be fown uponan open Spot of Ground ; for if they are near Hedges, Walls, Buildings, or Trees, they will draw up and be very long topp’d, but their Roots will not grow to anySize, Theyare fown in great Plentyin the Fields near London, not only for the Ufe of the Kitchen, but for Food for Cattel in Winter when other Foodfails ; and this Way is become a great Improvement to barren, fandy Lands, particularly in Norfolk, where, by the Culture of Jurnips, many Perfons have doubled the yearly Value of their Ground. The Land upon which this Seed is fown fhould be ploughed in May, and twy-fallow’d in Fuse, and made very fine; then the Seed fhould be fown pretty thin, (for it being {mall, alittle will fow a large Piece of Ground, two Pounds of this Seed is fufficient for an Acre of Land); The Seed muft be harrow’d in, and the Ground rolled with a wooden Roll, to break the Clods and make the Surface even : Inten Days or a Fortnight after fowing, the Plants willcome up; at which time, if the Seafon fhould prove dry, they will be in great Danger of being deftroy’d by the Fly: Butif it fo happen, the Ground mutt be fow’d again, for the Seed being cheap, the chief Expence is the Labour. When the Plants have got four or five Leaves, they fhould be hoed to deftroy the Weeds, and to cut up thePlants where they aré too thick, leaving the remaining ones about fix or eight Inches afunder each Way, Which will be Room enough for the Plants to ftand for the firft Hoeing: But in the fecond Hoeing, which muft be perform’d about three Weeks or a Month after the firft, they fhould be cut up, fo as that the remaining Plants may fland fourteen or fixteen Inches Diftance or more, efpecially if they are defign’d for feed- ing of Cattel ; for where the Plants are allow’d 4 good Diftance, the Roots will be propor- tionably large, fo that what is loft in the Number, will be over-gain’d by their Bulk ; Which is what I have often obferv'd: But in fuch Places where they are fown for the Ufe of the Kitchen, they need not be left ata Steater Diftance than ten Inches or a Foot, becaute large Roots are not fo generally efteem’d for the Table. 2 # th In order to fave good Turnip -Seeds, you " tranfplant fome ofth e faireft Roots in “Tuary, placing them at leaft two Feet afun- der each Way, obferving to keep the Ground clear from Weeds, until the Turnips have {pread fo as to cover the Grou nd, when they will prevent the Weeds from growing; and when the Pods are form’d, you fhoul d carefully guard them againft the Birds , otherwife they will devour it, efpecially when it is near ripe; at which time, you fhould eithe r fhoot the Birds as they alight upon the Seed, or lay fome birdlim’d Twigs upon it, whereby fome of them will be caught, and if they are permitted to remain fome time, and after wards turn’d loofe, theywill prevent the Birds from coming there again for fometime, as I have experimented. When the Seed is ripe, it fhould be cut up, and fpread to dry in the Son; after whichit may be thraf hed out, and preferved for Ufe, RAPHANUS; [of fasi@-, ea/y; and eal a, to appear, q.d. a Plant eafily appearing ; for this Plant being fown, quickly puts forth out of the Ground.] Radith. The Charaéters are ; Lhe Flower confif's offour Leaves, plac’in Formof a Crofs ; out oft. rifes the Pointal, which afte Pod in Formof a Horn, that is 1 J and furnify’d with a double Row of roun Seeds, which are feparated by a thin Mem- brane. The Species are; 1. RaPHANUs; minor, ob Smal] oblong or common Radift 2. RAPHANUs ; niger, C. &; P. 0 rotundus. major, orb ris, floribus Mor. Hif?. Great round black Radifh, commonly call’d The Spanifh Radith, 3. RAPHANUs; candidis. C.B.P. Great Round-rooted Radifh, with white Flowers, 4. R vilgs Ra Radifh, with #s, oblong zzZa. Hort. Cath. ‘The | ng Pear-fhap’d Root. 5. Rapuanus ; major, orbicularis, vel ro- tundus. C.B,P, Greater Radifh, with a round Root. The firft Sort here mention’d, is that which is commonly cultivated in Kitchen-Gardens for its Root; of whichthere are feveral Va- rieties, as the Small-topp’d, the Drop-red, and the Long-topp’d ftriped Radifh; all which are Varieties arifing from Culture: ‘The Smalltoppd Sort is moft commonlypreferr’d by the Gardeners near London, becaufe they require much lef{s Room than thofe with large Tops, and maybe left muchclofer together ; Andas the forward Radifbes are what produce the greateft Profit to the Gardener, fo thefe being commonlyfown upon Borders near Hedges, Walls, or Pales, if they are of the large-topp’d Sort, they will be apt to grow moftly to Top, and not {well fo much in the Root as the other, efpecially if they are left prettyclofe, The Seafons for fowing this Seed are various, according to the Time when theyaredefir'dfor Ufe: But the earlieft Seafonis commonly toward the latter End of O¢fober, that the Gardeners near London fow them to fupply the Mar! andthefe,if they do not mifcarry, will be fit fc nA |
