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: 
