356 
warm climate, and are consequently of better growth in the 
south of England and France, in proportion to their size in moist 
climates, as Holland and Ireland, than the turnip. 
Manure, according to some, should not be given to carrots 
the year they are sown, as it is alleged when the roots meet 
with it they become forked and wormy. This, however, is only 
applicable to cases in which recent unfermented manure has been 
given, or where other manure has not been properly broken in 
pieces, and spread over the soil, or in the drills. The Suffolk 
and Norfolk farmers, who are the best carrot growers, always use 
dung ; a suitable proportion of well-rotted farm-yard dung being 
constantly turned into the soil at the last ploughing in March, 
as it has been fully shown by various trials detailed in the 
Annals of Agriculture, and other books on husbandry, that 
though good crops of carrots may be occasionally grown without 
the aid of manure, it is only by the liberal application of that 
substance tliat the greatest produce possibly can be obtained, as 
they are in general found to bear a relative proportion to the 
quantity that may have been employed. Mr. Burrows prepares 
the land with a good dressing of about 16 cart loads per acre of 
rotten farm-yard manure, or cottagers’ ashes,—the load about 
as much as three horses can draw. He usually sows wheat 
stubbles after clover, ploughing the first time in autumn, and 
once more in the early part of the month of February, if the 
weather permits; setting on the manure at the time of sowing, 
which is about the last week in March, or sometimes as late as 
the second week in April. In Suffolk, when carrots are intended 
to be sown after peas, they usually plough the stubble as soon as 
the harvest is over, in order that the land may clear itself of 
weeds; in December, it is laid up in small bulks to receive the 
benefit of the frosts; in February, it is harrowed down, and 
manured at the rate of 15 loads per acre; the manure ploughed 
in to the depth of about 4 inches, and in the month of March 
the land is double-furrowed, and the seed sown. By pursuing 
this method, they say, the manure lies in the centre of the 
soil, and not only affords nourishment and support to the carrot 
in its perpendicular progress, but renders it easy to be turned 
up by a single ploughing, and greatly promotes the growth of the 
succeeding crop of barley. In Norfolk, it is the practice to sow 
carrots after a crop of turnips. The manure, after being put on 
the land in the beginning of March, is first ploughed in with a 
common plough, and afterwards trench ploughed about 14 or 
15 inches deep; it is then harrowed very fine, and the seed 
sown about the beginning of March. 
The season for soning the carrot, preferred by Mr. Burrows, is 
the last week in March or first of April; but he prefers the first 
period, having generally found early crops the most productive. 
The usual preparation of the seed for sowing, is by mixing it 
with earth or sand, to cause it to separate more freely; but 
Burrows adds water, turns over the mixture of seeds and moist 
earth several times, and thus brings it to a point of vegetation 
before he sows it. ‘ Having then weighed the quantity of seed 
to be sown, and collected sand or fine mould in the proportion of 
2 bushels to an acre, I mix the seed with the sand or mould 
8 or 10 pounds to every 2 bushels, and this is done about a 
fortnight or 3 weeks before the time I intend sowing; taking 
care to have the heaps turned over every day, sprinkling the 
outside of them with water each time of turning over, that 
every part of the sand heaps may be equally moist, and that 
vegetation may take place alike throughout. I have great ad- 
vantage in preparing the seed so long beforehand ; it is by this 
means in a state of forward vegetation, therefore lies but a short 
time in the ground, and by quickly appearing above ground, is 
more able to contend with those numerous tribes of weeds in 
the soil, whose seeds are of quicker vegetation.” Suppl. &c. 
The quantity of seed, when carrots are sown in rows, is 2 
UMBELLIFERZ. CXXXI. Daucus. 
pounds per acre, and for broad-cast sowing 5 pounds. Bur. 
rows sows 10 pounds per acre in the broad-cast manner. 
The usual mode of sowing the carrot is broad-cast, but perhaps 
the better mode would be to sow them in rows at 12 or 14 inches 
asunder; drawing the drills, and hoeing the intervals by any 
suitable hoe. The most common practice, however, where car- 
rots are best cultivated, is the hand or broad-cast method, the 
seed being dispersed as evenly as possible over the land, after 
the surface has been reduced to a very fine state of pulveri- 
zation by harrowing, in order to provide a suitable bed for it 
to vegetate in, being then covered in by means of a light 
harrow. As the seed is not of a nature to be deposited with 
much regularity by the drill, and as the young plants can be 
easily set out to proper distances in the operation of hoeing, 
this is probably the most appropriaie method of putting such 
sort of seed into the ground. And an additional proof of it 
is indeed found in its being that which is almost universally 
adopted in those districts where carrot-husbandry is practised 
to the greatest extent. The drill method, however, would save 
much hand labour. The seed may either be deposited by the 
drill-machine, or by furrows made with a hoe or other imple- 
ments, burying the seed about an inch in depth, and harrowing 
once. : 
The after culture given to the carrot consists entirely of hoeing 
and weeding. In Suffolk they are hoed generally 3 times in the 
season. The first time, as soon as the plants can be distin- 
guished from the weeds, which should be done with a 3-inch 
hoe. It is an operation that requires to be performed with great 
attention, as it is extremely difficult to distinguish the young 
carrots from the weeds. The second hoeing should be given m 
3 or 4 weeks afterwards, according to the forwardness of the 
crop ; it may be performed with common hoes, care being taken 
to set out the plants at proper distances. From 8 to 15 inches 
each way is the common distance, at which they are allowed to 
stand; and it has been proved by experience, that carrots which 
grow at such distances always prove a more abundant crop than 
when the plants are allowed to stand closer together. The 
third hoeing is commonly made about the middle or end of June, 
and in this, besides destroying the weeds, another material cir- 
cumstance to be attended to, is to set the carrots at proper dis- 
tances, and also wherever any have been left double at the for- 
mer hoeings, to take the worst of the two plants away. 
Carrots sown according to the plan of Burrows, are ready to 
hoe within about 5 or 6 weeks. He hoes 3, and sometimes 4 
times, or until the crop is perfectly clean. The first hoeing '8 
with hoes 4 inches long, and 24 inches wide. The second hoe- 
ing invariably takes place as soon as the first is completed, an 
is performed with 6-inch hoes, by 24 inches wide. By this ume 
the plants are set; the first time of hoeing nothing was cut but 
the weeds. He leaves the plants 9 inches apart from ea¢ 
other, sometimes they will be a foot or even farther asunder. 
Carrots are generally taken up in the last week of October. 
The operation is performed by 3-pronged forks. “I take up 
in autumn a sufficient quantity to have a store to Jast me out 
any considerable frost or snow that may happen in the winter 
months. The rest of the crop I leave in the ground, preferring 
them fresh out of the earth for both horses and bullocks. The 
carrots keep best in the ground, nor can the severest frosts ¢° 
them any material injury; the first week in March it 1s we 
sary to have the remaining part of the crop taken up, and the 
land cleared for barley ; the carrots can either be Jaid in a heap, 
with a small quantity of straw covered over them, or they may 
be laid into some empty outhouse or barn, in heaps of yo 
hundred bushels, provided they are put together dry. T d 
latter circumstance it is indispensable to attend to; for if lai 
together in large heaps when wet, they will certainly sustain 
