Of Radish.
The kindes.
There be sundrie sorts of Radish, whereof some be long and white; others long and blacke; some round and white; others round, or of the forme of a peare and blacke of colour; some wilde, or of the field; and some tame, or of the garden, whereof we will intreat in this present chapter. | | | |---|---| | 1 Raphanus satiuus. | 2 Radicula satiua minor. | | Garden Radish. | Small garden Radish. |
The description.
The garden Radish sendeth foorth great and large leaues, greene, rough, cut on both sides with deepe gashes, not vnlike to the garden Turnep, but greater. The stalkes be round and parted into many branches: out of which spring smal flowers of a light purple color, made of fower little leaues: and when they be past, there do come in place sharpe pointed cods puft or blowen vp toward the stalke, full of a spungious substance, wherein is contained the seede of a light browne colour, somewhat greater than the feeds of Turneps or Colewoorts. The roote is grosse, long, and white both without and within, and of a sharpe taste. The small garden Radish hath leaues like the former, but smaller, and more brittle in handling. The stalke of two cubits high, wheron be the flowers like the former. The seed is smaller and not so sharpe in taste. The roote is small, long, white both within and without, except a little that sheweth it selfe aboue the ground of a reddish colour. Radish with a round roote hath leaues like the garden Turnep: amongst which leaues springeth vp a round and smooth stalke, deuiding it selfe toward the top into two or three branches, whereon do grow small purplish flowers made of fower leaues a peece: which being past, there do come in place small long cods puft vp or bunched in two, and sometimes three places, full of pith as the common Radish, wherein is contained the seede, somewhat smaller than the Colewoort seede, but of a hotter taste. The roote is rounde and firme, nothing waterish like the common Radish, more pleasant in taste, holsomer, not causing such stinking belchings as the garden Radish doth. The Radish with a roote fashioned like a peare, groweth to the height of three or fower cubits, of a bright reddish colour. The leaues are deeply cut or iagged like those of the Turnep, somewhat rough. The flowers are made of fower leaues, of a light carnation or fleshie colour. The seed is contained in small bunched cods like the former. The roote is fashioned like a peare or long Turnep, blacke without and white within, of a firme and solide substance. The taste is quicke and sharpe biting the toong as the other kindes of Radish, but more strongly. 3 Raphanus orbiculatus. Round Radish. 4 Raphanus pyriformis. Peare fashion Radish. 1 Wilde Radish hath a broader & rougher leafe than the common Radish, & not so deeply cut or iagged, almost like the leaues of Rocket, but much greater. The stalke is slender & rough, of two cubits high, deuided toward the top into many branches. The flowers are small and yellow: the cod is long and slender, wherein is the seed. The roote is of the bignesse of a finger, white within and without, of a sharpe and biting taste. 2 The water Radish hath long and broad leaues, deeply indented or cut euen to the middle rib. The stalke is long, weake, and leaneth this way and that way being not able to stand vpright without a prop, in so much that yee shall neuer finde it, no not when it is verie yoong, but leaning down vpon the mud or mire where it groweth. The flowers growe at the top made of fower small yellow leaues. The roote is long, set in sundrie spaces with small fibres or threds like the rowell of a spur, hot and burning in taste more than any of the garden Radishes.
The place.
All the kindes of Radish require a loose grounde which hath beene long manured and is somewhat fat. They prosper well in sandie ground where they are not so subiect to wormes, as in other grounds. The first do grow vpon the borders of bankes and ditches cast vp, and in the borders of moist fields. The second grow in ditches, standing waters, and riuers. There is a kinde hereof growing in the ioints or chincks amongst the mortar of a stone wall that bordereth vpon the riuer Thames by the Sauoy in London, the which yee cannot finde but when the tide is much spent.
The time.
These kindes of Radish are most fitly sowen after the sommer Solstice in Iune or Iulie: for being sowen betimes in the spring they yeelde not their rootes so kindely nor profitably, for then they do for the most part quickly run vp to stalke and seede, where otherwise they do not flower and seed till the next spring following. They may be sowen ten moneths in the yeere, but as I said before, the best time is in Iune and Iulie. They flower in Iune, and the seede is ripe in August.
The names.
Radish is called in Greek of Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Galen, and other old writers ῤαφανίς: in shops Raphanus, and Satiua Radicula: in high Dutch Rettich: in low Dutch Radiis: in French Raifort: in Italian Raphano: in Spanish Rauano: in English Radish, and Rabone: in the Bohemian toong Rzedkew. Cælius affirmeth that the seed of Radish is called of Marcellus Empericus, Bacanon, and so likewise of Aëtius in the second chapter of the second booke of his Tetrable: yet Cornarius doth not reed Bacanon, but Cacanon: The name of Bacanum is also founde in N. Mirepsus in the 155. Composition of his first booke. The wilde Radish is called in Latine Radicula syluestris, and Raphanus syluestris, in Greeke ῥαφανὶς ἀγρία, and of some Armoracia: in high Dutch Wilder Retich: in Spanish Xarmago: in Italian Ramolacci: in English Wilde Radish.
The temperature.
Radish doth manifestly heat and drie, open and make thin by reason of the biting qualitie that ruleth in it. Galen maketh them hot in the third degree, and drie in the second, and sheweth that it is rather a sawce than a nourishment. These wilde Radishes are of like temperature with the garden Radish, but hotter and drier.
The vertues.
Radish are eaten raw with bread in stead of other foode; but being eaten after that maner, they yeeld Dioscorides writeth, that the leaues are receiued among the pot herbes, and likewise the boiled roote, which as he saith, doth heate, and prouoke vrine.
Text in Gerard's own spelling (the long s is printed as s), transcribed by the Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). A chapter may run onto pages not yet transcribed. Gerard wrote within Galenic medicine; nothing here is advice.