74 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



nothing gained by overcrowding. The main secret with this crop 

 is knowing just when to gather it. Radishes to be appreciated 

 must be crisp and tender. If left in the bed too long they get soft 

 and pithy, and are comparatively useless at that stage. The very 

 best seed obtainable should be used for this purpose. In fact, if 

 there is much small seed noticeable, which there often is in radish 

 seed, it would pay to screen the small seed out, the object being, 

 to have all the seed near the same strength so that the crop will 

 come in even. A batch of radishes properly handled should be 

 cleaned off with a couple of pullings; under those circumstances 

 there should be no trouble with pithy roots. Where it is necessary 

 to keep up a supply, seed may be sown every five or six days accord- 

 ing to demands, and by all means, if possible, keep them in solid 

 beds. It is far superior to raised benches. For varieties for 

 forcing purposes select those that do not produce much top. Xon 

 Plus Ultra, for example. I shall class that as one of the very best 

 for greenhouse forcing. Radishes can be grown successfully with 

 the lettuce-house temperature. 



Tomatoes. 



^Ye come now to a class of vegetables that will thrive better in a 

 warmer climate. Good tomatoes can be had either in solid beds 

 or raised benches. But for the winter months raised benches are 

 to be preferred. ^Yonderful progress has been made in recent 

 years, and the quantity of tomatoes consumed, compared with 

 years ago, is very much greater, particularly so with the forced 

 products, not only in private establishments, but also as a com- 

 mercial enterprise. 



True, tomatoes come from the South fairly early, but there is 

 no comparison between the southern product and the tomatoes 

 produced in our hothouses, neither for color, flavor, or attractive- 

 ness in general. Tomatoes as a winter crop are usually a success, 

 provided a few details are carried out which I shall endeavor to 

 explain as concise as possible. In the first place we should aim 

 to start our plants in time so that we can have a good set of fruit 

 before the shortest days set in; this will give a heavy picking 

 throuffh the shortest davs. To get this seed should be sown not 



