iS79-] THE AMATEUR'S GARDEN. 309 



intended for our earliest Turnips liberally manured, and have Lad good 

 reason to be satisfied with the practice. The other occasion was only- 

 last season, and it goes to prove that a vigorous growth, in the earlier 

 stages especially, helps materially to prevent premature seeding. We 

 had some seed left from the previous year, and we made an equal sow- 

 ing of old seed and new. From the first a difference was discernible. 

 The new seed came up first and strongest; the new seed gave us some 

 find Turnips, with only a few " seeders : " the old seed gave us only a 

 few bulbs, and a fine crop of plants which ran prematurely to seed. 

 But we need not multiply examples. It is well enough known that 

 Celery, Lettuce, <fcc, whenever they get a check, have their tendency 

 to seeding increased, and when kept growing vigorously the tendency 

 is in part overcome. Poverty, drought, crowdedness, and many other 

 influences, hasten the flowering period; and, last but not least, although 

 far too often overlooked, seed with a vitality not strong enough to give 

 a vigorous growth from the very first. We ought to aim at a vigorous 

 growth from the very first, because weakly seedlings are only made 

 vigorous plants with great difficulty, and often enough it proves to be 

 an impossibility. 



Xow these are facts well worth knowing and acting upon. Low- 

 priced seeds are often enough very dear seeds, although inexperienced 

 persons sometimes think otherwise, until taught the truth through 

 painful experience. Old seeds are often enough worse than useless 

 because they lead to a cumbering of ground with w T eakly produce which 

 might have carried a robust vegetation. With a proper method, and 

 with a knowledge of what is wanted, together w T ith the amount of seed 

 required to crop a given space, there is no reason why any seeds should 

 be left over from one year to another; and when there is, it is as often 

 as not the falsest economy to use the old seed instead of buying new. 



A. M. 



THE AMATEUR'S GARDEN. 



ROOT CROPS. 



(Continued from page 2S0.) 



The Parsnip. — To obtain good Parsnips the seed requires to be sown as soon 

 in the year as the soil is in good working order. "We generally maDage to get 

 ours in some time in February, and never later than the middle of March if we 

 can help it. At the same time, Parsnips can be secured although the seed be 

 not sown until April, but never so fine as those sown earlier, unless under very 

 •exceptional circumstances. There is no fear of the seed on the score of hardi- 

 ness, as in the case of the Beet ; and no fear of it running prematurely to seed, 

 as in the case of the Carrot and Turnip, — so that it can be sown as soon as the 

 soil is friable and dry. And perhaps it may not be out of place here to call the 

 attention of young gardeners to the above facts, for it is the custom of some to 

 sow their Carrots, Parsnips, and Beet on the same day ; and the consequence is, 



