Carrots 



I9i 



long Orange variety; others claim that the 

 White Belgian gives a greater yield. For 

 table use, the smaller French Horn variety 

 is preferable ; it matures earlier, and the fla- 

 vour is milder. 



In field culture the rows should be i8 

 inches apart, and the Carrots 6 inches apart 

 in the rows. In gardens the rows may be lo 

 inches apart, and the Carrots 3 or 4 inches 

 ft-om each other. In either case vigilance 

 must be exercised not to let the weeds get 

 the start of the crops, as the Carrot is of 

 feeble growth at first, and if once choked and 

 stunted by weeds seldom recovers. They 

 may be sown in the spring as soon as the 

 ground is dry enough to be worked, and 4 or 

 5 lb. of seed are sufficient for i acre. As 

 the seeds are covered with a beard, which 

 renders even sowing by a drill-harrow diffi- 

 cult, they should be mixed with sand and 

 thoroughly rubbed before being put into the 

 hopper. The seed should be fresh, certainly 

 not over two years old. 



Johnston gives the composition of the 

 Carrot as follows : — 



Water So. 00 



Starch and fibre 9. 00 



Pectin 1.75 



Sugar 7.8 



Albumen i i 



Oil 35 



Total 100.00 



Others make the per-centageof water higher, 

 even up to 8S per cent. Carrots, like all 

 other root crops, draw heavily on the inor- 



ganic matter of the soil. A crop of 20 tons 

 of roots and 4 tons of leaves to the acre will 

 exhaust the following amounts of inorganic 

 matter : — 



Phosphoric acid 39 lb. 



Sulphuric acid 57 ,, 



Lime 197 ,, 



Magnesia .... 29 ,, 



I'otash 134 „ 



Sofia 103 „ 



Chloride of sodium 85 , , 



In all 644 lb. 



Wood ashes are therefore a good fertilizer 

 for Carrots, as they supply all this inorganic 

 matter. Plaster, lime, bone-dust, and com- 

 mon salt are also good, but do not furnish 

 all the elements required. 



The leaves of Carrots are beautiful, and as 

 valuable as they are beautiful. The common 

 practice of leaving these leaves on the field 

 at harvesting is wasteful. They may do the 

 land a little good, but they will do the cows 

 and horses a greater good. They are highly 

 ornamental, used as greens in the arranging 

 of flowers. No green is more light and graceful. 

 If a large Carrot, in the winter, be placed in a 

 vessel of water on the mantel-piece, it will send 

 out numerous delicate leaves, which will serve 

 to cheat winter of its gloom. Another mode 

 is to cut off the top of a Carrot, and partially 

 hollow it out so that it will hold water, and 

 hang it up in a window, furnishing it occa- 

 sionally with a little water. The graceful 

 living green leaves make a pleasing contrast 

 with the general deadness of the winter. 



