EADISHES. 103 



Sow the best seed that can be obtained, early in the 

 spring, dropping two or three seeds to each inch of row. 

 Keep the ground thoroughly cultivated, and when the 

 plants grow large enough to show their character, thin 

 them, leaving only the handsomest and best roots. I know 

 this is easier said than done, but it is well worth all the 

 time and labor it will cost. It will be necessary to go 

 over the piece several times, as it is necessary to pull out 

 six or eight radishes for every one that is ultimately left. 

 If we leave two or three plants for every foot of row they 

 will ba quite thick enough. Nothing more is required, 

 except to kill the weeds, until the crop of seed is ready 

 to harvest. 



When the pods begin to wither, the crop can be cut 

 with a sharp corn knife, or mown with a scythe, or better 

 still, it may be cut with a self-raking reaper, which throws 

 the stems into bundles from ten to fifteen feet apart. In 

 our dry, hot climate, the bundles can be allowed to care on 

 the ground, where they are left by the reaper, turning 

 them occasionally to prevent their moulding underneath. 

 When thoroughly dry, draw them into the barn and stow 

 them away on a scaffold, where the air can circulate through 

 them, and let them remain until winter, thrashing them 

 with a flail or thrashing machine during frosty weather. 



A thrashing machine, which tears the pods to pieces, is 

 better than a flail. The seed is easily cleaned with a fan- 

 ning mill and the necessary sieves. The seed-grower 

 should confine himself to two or three of the best varie- 

 ties, and it is best for him to raise only one variety at a 

 time. The seed retains its vitality for three years or 

 more, and it is better to raise three acres of one variety 

 every third year than to raise one acre each of three va- 

 rieties every year. He will have just as much land in 

 radish seed every year, but he can manage the three acres 

 of one variety in one piece, with far less labor than he 

 can raise an acre of each variety in three separate fields. 



