neath the soil; and many gardeners, who have had the misfortune to cultivate the Peach in situations where the roots, at a small depth beneath the soil, were destroyed by water during winter, or where the same effect was produced by the unfavourable nature of the subsoil, must have observed the injurious effects of mildew. I shall conclude my paper with observing, that I have never seen the Peach in so great a state of perfection, as when cultivated very nearly according to the preceding directions: and I estimate so highly the advantages of bringing forward the fruit under glass, till it is nearly full grown, and then exposing it to the stronger stimulus of sunshine, without the intervention of the glass, and excluding it from rain and dews, that I believe the Peach might be thus ripened in greater perfection at St. Petersburg, in a house properly adapted to the latitude of that place, than in the open air at Rome, or Naples. XXXIX. On the Cultivation of Horse-radish. By Mr. JOSEPH KNIGHT, F. H. S. Read June 5, 1810. THE cultivation of this wholesome and useful vegetable hitherto appears to have been much neglected. Being a plant that thrives in almost all soils and situations to greater or less perfection, it has not demanded the particular attention of gardeners, nor have I the most favourable opportunity of cultivating it, although I now venture to lay the following account before the Horticultural Society. Horse-radish thrives best in deep, soft, sandy loam, that is not very dry in summer, nor inundated in winter: the situation must be open. Trench the ground three feet deep, and if fresh grass-land, it should lie twelve months to pulverise, and will be improved by growing a crop of potatoes the first summer. In the following February procure your sets, in the choice of which take the strongest crowns or leading buds from old plants, cutting them about two inches long: when a sufficient quantity is thus prepared, proceed to mark out the ground in fourfeet beds and one-foot alleys, by strong durable oak stakes, then take from the first bed nine inches of the top soil, laying it upon the adjoining bed; after which take out an opening at one end of the bed, in the common way of trenching, fifteen inches deep from the present surface; then level the bottom, upon which plant a row of sets across the bed, at nine inches apart each way, with their crowns upright; afterwards dig the next trench the same width and depth, turning the earth into the first trench over the row of sets: thus proceeding, trench after trench, to the end. Where more than the produce of one bed is required for the supply of the family for twelve months, the third bed is next to be planted, which treat as directed for the first, only observing to lay the earth on the fourth, and so on for any number of beds, being careful to leave the earth of the beds, which are planted, as light as possible, and taking great care to avoid treading them at any time until the crop is in a proper state to take up, or to plant or sow other crops upon the ground; but upon every alternate bed, which is not planted, a dwarf annual crop may be grown. About the month of May, the plants will make their appearance, and in the course of the summer grow very strong. They must be kept clear from weeds and as soon as the leaves decay in autumn, let them be carefully raked off with a wooden-toothed rake, which is all that is required until the following February, when eighteen inches of the earth of the unplanted bed must be laid as light as possible, and equal, over the beds that are planted; then trench and plant the vacant beds exactly in the same manner as before directed. Let the same care be observed to keep the ground clear from weeds until the following autumn, by which time the plants will have made surprising progress. As soon as the leaves decay, let them be taken off by a wooden rake, after which the first planted Horse-radish may be taken up, by opening a trench at one end of the bed to the bottom of the roots, sa that they may be taken up entire and sound: these for size and quality will be such as are not generally seen. It is also necessary to be very careful in digging up the crop, to pick every lateral root and fibre out of the ground, as the smallest roots rarely fail to grow, and would, if left in the ground, injure the succeeding crop. The following February the one year old crop will require additional earth as before directed, and must of course be taken from those beds which are now vacant, which, when done, if the ground appears poor, or unlikely to produce another vigorous crop, they must have a coat of manure. The best manure for Horse-radish is leafmould, or other thoroughly decayed vegetable substances; when such cannot be got, cow or horses' dung may be used, but it should be in a very rotten state this manure should be well mixed with the earth to the depth the Horse-radish is intended to be planted; after which the ground may be planted, in due season, as before directed. When Horseradish is grown for market, it is customary to sell it with its crowns or tops perfect, consequently, the market gardeners have not always a sufficient quantity of crowns to furnish their new plantations; therefore, to made out this deficiency, they sometimes cut the old knotty roots into sets, which rarely produces good handsome sticks. With little difficulty they might be accommodated with plenty of crowns, if they would take the trouble, which would be very little, to plant a quantity of their refuse Horse-radish in some inferior piece of ground, or unfavourable situation for more delicate plants, about six inches deep, and six inches apart from plant to plant; these, in the course of one year, would furnish any |