564 



Bulletin 317 



CARROTS 



Carrot culture is more exacting than that required for mangels. The 

 seeds are much smaller and are slower to germinate, and the seedlings 

 are small and weak until after midsummer. The plants seem to make 

 the largest part of their growth after the hot days of summer have passed. 

 They are sensitive to the physical condition of the soil and need intensive, 

 or garden, cultivation more than do mangels. 



Preparation of soil. — The previous preparation of the soil should be 

 the same as for mangels, except that less stones or trash can be tolerated 

 at the surface of the field for carrots. As the seeds of carrots are slow 

 to germinate and must be planted shallow, it will be found best to prepare 

 the seed bed some tim.e in advance of sowing, and allow it to settle and 

 the weed seeds to sprout before the final fitting of the surface. When 

 ready for planting, a carrot field should be very smooth, fine, and moist 

 near the surface. 



Seeding. — The amount of seed sown will depend on the quality of the 

 seed and the width of the rows. The plants should stand 4 to 5 inches 

 apart in the rows after thinning. If good seed is used, the drill should 

 be so adjusted that not more than four seeds are sown for every plant 

 desired ; if the seed is of poor germinating quality, more accordingly should 

 be sown. The seed should be covered about one fourth of an inch deep 



and the rows should 

 not be trampled with 

 the feet. 



vSom.e carrots are 

 grown in rows wide 

 enourh to allow of 

 horse cultivation; but 

 larger crops can be 

 obtained if the rows 

 are not wider than 16 

 inches and the culti- 

 vation is all done by 

 hand power. It is late 

 in the season before 

 carrot plants are large 

 enough to cultivate 

 safely with a horse. 

 The garden drill for 



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Fig. 158. — Improved Rubicon and Danvers Half-long carrots. 

 This type is fairly easy to harvest and is capable of good 

 yields 



sowing, and the wheel hoe and hand cultivator, are most useful tools 

 in carrot culture. 



