250 VEGETABLE FORCING 



An excellent method is to buy small lots of seed of the 

 desired varieties from different dealers and test them in 

 the greenhouse. Seed of the best lot may then be pur- 

 chased in sufficient quantity to last a year. After the 

 larger shipment has been received the additional precau- 

 tion of another test should be made before sowing exten- 

 sive areas. 



A small percentage of growers who are forcing radishes 

 under glass grow their own seed. They claim that the 

 results of home-selected seed are highly satisfactory if 

 the work of breeding has been properly managed. 



Many of the most successful and most extensive grow- 

 ers remove the smaller seeds by screening. Some 

 gardeners discard one-third of the seed. Ordinarily, this 

 will require a mesh that is about one-twelfth of an inch 

 in diameter. 



There are numerous advantages in planting large seed. 

 Among them may be mentioned quicker germination, 

 larger percentage of germination, larger individual roots 

 and larger total yield. Extensive experiments with large 

 radish seed were made by Cummings (Rhode Island Bul- 

 letin 177). The results were so striking that the com- 

 plete report is given as follows : 



"The radish was selected partly because its seed exhibit much 

 variation in size and weight, but chiefly because it is one of the 

 shortest of the short-term crops. Sixteen different trials were made 

 during a period of three years. Only two varieties were used, but 

 the many trials made have afforded fairly uniform and consistent 

 results. Observations made on seeds of other varieties show the 

 same divergencies in size of crop, and there seems to be no reason 

 to suppose that the varieties chosen were in any way abnormal. 



"Attention was first directed to the general results of seed selec- 

 tion with reference to size. The relative values of large and small 

 seed are shown in the tables presented below : 





