116 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the seed, and the roots at harvesting time were only a little thicker 

 than a big man's thumb, yet, when slowly cooked in a small 

 quantity of water, they were as marrowy and sweet as the finest of 

 the Jersey parsnips ; indeed, we are inclined to believe they were a 

 few degrees better. However, though small roots are not to be 

 despised, large ones are most valued, and a rich, deep soil will pro- 

 duce them with just no mere trouble than deep digging and sowing 

 the seed, for they scarcely want weeding, and the thinning may be 

 performed in almost no time. If, however, extra large roots are 

 required, the way to secure them is to trench two spits deep, and 

 put a good bed of fat manure in the bottom of the trench — the roots 

 will find it in good time, and the result will be satisfactory. But 

 manure dug in with surface-digging is more harm than good, for the 

 roots, instead of going straight down, make all sorts of ugly forks 

 and fibres, and a very large proportion of the whole bulk is wasted 

 in preparing them for cooking, Therefore, if the labour of trench- 

 ing and putting manure at the bottom of the trenches is too great, 

 do not employ manure, and be content with smaller, but more 

 usable roots. In any case, however, deep and earnest stirring of the 

 soil is a proper preparation for this crop. Hard work, more than 

 " fine words," tends to the buttering of parsnips. 



Sow fresh seed in March, or early in April. The seed bed should 

 be fine and dry. If large roots are desired, sow in drills, fifteen to 

 eighteen inches apart, and thin to a foot ; if the ground is poor, sow 

 twelve inches asunder, and thin to nine or six inches. Distances 

 depend on conditions, but a mistake will not ruin the plantation r 

 for if parsnips are rather crowded, it does not much matter ; but 

 the size of the roots will of necessity depend upon the space allowed 

 them. During showery weather in July and August, a final thiuning 

 may be made of roots that elbow each other, and they will be found 

 exceedingly marrowy and delicate when cooked. 



Beetroot should be available every day throughout the year ; 

 but like other roots it can be grown only during summer. Where 

 the demand is unremitting, the cultivator must secure early crops 

 for use in autumn, and must store well and plentifully for supply in 

 spring and summer. We have found it tolerably easy work to do 

 this until July, and then the old beets were becoming fibrous, and 

 the young ones were too small to pull, and there was the shadow of 

 a hitch sometimes. But it can be done, and wherever salads are in 

 request all the year round, beetroot must be provided for them. 

 Our practice is to sow a few rows on half- fermenting beds in frames 

 in February, as advised for the early production of Horn carrots, 

 and this plan enables us to supply the kitchen with fine roots at the 

 end of June aud throughout July, when the roots in the store are 

 acquiring an undesirable toughness. As the subject of storing 

 comes before us properly here, we may as well dispose of it. A bed 

 of earth in a shed of any kind, safe from frost, answers the purpose 

 well. Better is it, however, to store the roots in dry sand in a 

 place where neither moisture, nor frost, nor the warmth of spring, 

 can reach them. Our best store is a shed built of brick in a north 

 aspect ; it is safe from frost, and the spring sunshine has but little 



