The articles thus far in this series have been, in the main, devoted to principles rather than practice. Principle is the corner-stone upon which practice rests. Unless this is clearly understood, there will be no certainty as to results. There is a right way and a wrong way in doing everything, and midway there is what may be termed chance.

We have endeavored to show the importance of selection in •establishing a type, and of its importance in maintaining a type after it is secured. One feature of this principle is to grow all plants for seed purposes where the product attains the greatest degree of perfection. This is the general practice with the seed trade, and where it is neglected unsatisfactory results follow. The principles having been established, we will notice the methods employed in the growing of various crops in order to show how the best of every species and variety is produced.

The radish is supposed to be a native of China, although the species is entirely unknown in its native state. This esculent root has long been held in high esteem. Before the Christian era, its importance was so great that a volume was written in its behalf. The ancient Greeks, in presenting their oblations to Apollo, presented turnips in lead, beets in silver and radishes in vessels of beaten gold. They were introduced into England in the sixteenth century. Gerarde describes four kinds in 1584, such as were commonly grown in English gardens.

Formerly the leaves were often boiled and eaten, after the manner of spinach. Later the young seed leaves were used with cresses and mustard as small salad. But now the roots are chiefly employed, and the young and tender seed-pods are considerably used in making mixed pickles.

General Cultivation

Radishes, particularly the early sorts, prefer a light soil, made very rich with well-rotted manure, and made fine and light. In such a soil they can be had fit for the table in from four to six weeks. The time will depend upon both temperature and moisture. In midsummer, if the soil is kept moist, a crop can be secured in less than four weeks from the sowing of the seed. The first crop in the garden can be secured by sowing the seed in alternate drills between beets, carrots or other vegetables of slower growth. The radishes will be up and out of the way before the others will need the room. We have had good results from sowing radish seed with the beets and carrots in the same row . the radishes coming up quickly show plainly where the other plants will appear in due time, and will materially assist in Keeping down the weeds. When the radishes are all taken out. little other thinning will be required.

Cultivation Of The Radish For Seed Purposes

Radish seed is mostly produced in France, although quantities are produced in England, Germany and Holland. The methods of cultivation are similar in all countries. Our description will be of the French method, and from our own observation One of the principal sections of the radish-seed industry of France is in the department of Manche, in Normandy, on St. Michael Bay, although great quantities are grown in the south and other sections of France. As a rule, the seed is grown by small farmers, or rather by the owners of small farms, and all the work is done by hand. The plow and the cultivator are strangers to the owners of these small farms, which vary in extent from one to ten acres. The beds for the sowing of the seed are prepared in February ; as early as the weather will permit the seed is sown, usually by the middle of the month. The soil in this section is a light loam, mixed with fine sand, soil that has been reclaimed' from the sea since the eleventh century. This is dug deep with the spade. It is by nature close and fine, and when wet is very tenacious and sticky. The seed beds are about four feet in width and as long as are required to furnish the roots for the acreage to be planted The seed is sown cross-wise in the beds, in rows about six inches apart.

As soon as the seed is sown the grower prepares his field for the seed crop. On large farms the plow and harrow are used ; on small farms the spade and the rake are the only tools employed. About the first of June the radishes are ready for transplanting ; they are then the proper size for table use.

Now the important part of seed-growing commences - that of selection. The roots are taken up and selected with the utmost care even throwing out every root that is not true to the desired type, both as regards form and color. Of course, if the grower is unfaithful to his trust, he will reset every root; but if any are to be discarded, it will be such as show a tendency to deteriorate, and such invariably produce the most seed. The leading seed houses in Europe have their superintendents always on hand to look after this part of the industry, which is their only guarantee for purity of stock. They also watch carefully for any variation in form or color of the roots, which, like all other plants, are liable to "sport," and the sports are parents of new varieties.

The foreign seedsmen make the transplanting of the roots a leading argument in the sale of their stocks, intimating that those who sell at less than what are known as standard rates sell from stocks that have not been transplanted and consequently are not selected. The facts in the case are. that all radish seed is grown from transplanted roots, and that not a grower would think of producing seed by any other method, as it could not be done profitably. The inferiority of seed is due wholly to other causes, mainly from stocks of an inferior character, such as produce the most, rather than the best seed.

In transplanting, the field is marked out in rows three feet apart, and the roots are put two feet apart in the rows. They are planted with a dibble, inserting each root wholly in the ground, down to the leaves, and pressing the soil firmly around them. If all the conditions are favorable - and plenty of moisture is the all important one - the plants will scarcely receive a check and soon make new roots, and shoot up in branchy stalks, which will, by the first of July, completely cover the ground. To ripen the seed perfectly, dry weather is important. In favorable seasons the crop will be ready to harvest in September. At the time of flowering, the roots attain an enormous size. The long varieties are often the size of a large long blood beet, and the turnip-rooted varieties as large as turnips. The stalks grow from three to four feet high in ordinary soil, and in more favored places from four to five feet.

Unless the season is very favorable for ripening the seed and drying the pods, the stalks must be stacked like wheat and remain in that condition until the following season as it is almost impossible to thresh the seed clean until the pods are perfectly dry; but a more important reason is that if thrashed too soon the seed is liable to heat, unless very thinly spread in a dry room, which the small farmer cannot do, as he has not the facilities. In England, the seed is invariably left in stacks until the following year before threshing. In threshing the flail is still used, and the threshing floor is the hard ground in front of the dwelling, except with the very few of the large farmers who have sufficient barn room for the purpose, and even then, in most instances, the floor is earth firmly packed down.

The seed is cleaned by the use of hand sieves of various sizes, which is a very slow process, as the larger pieces of pod must be picked out by hand, while the finer are carried off by the wind. There is also considerable gravel taken up with the seed, which must be taken out by hand. Mills for cleaning the seed are to be found at the warehouses of all the foreign dealers who have their seeds grown in France, but the growers are too suspicious to permit their use.

To obtain seed of the winter sorts, the seed is sown in the spring, but in drills much farther apart, and the plants given more room in the drill. They may be transplanted in the fall, but the more common and better practice is to take them up in the fall and put in trenches, covering slightly with straw, over which a little dirt is thrown to keep it in place. The roots are then put out in March and the crop of seed is ready to harvest the next September, for selling in the trade the following winter.

Long Island. C. L. Allen.

[to be continued. ]