310 THE GARDENER. [July 



that the Parsnips do not grow to so large a size as when sown earlier, while it 

 is not an unfrequent occurrence for a large proportion of the Carrot and Beet- 

 root crops to run to seed when sown too early, which of course renders them 

 unfit for use. 



The finest Parsnips are raised in deep, rather light soil, in good condition, but 

 haviDg no fresh manure added. The very large Parsnips seen at exhibitions 

 are grown in very rich soil ; but these are rather coarse compared with those 

 grown in soil only moderately rich. The soil should be trenched or dug as 

 deeply as possible during autumn or winter, to get it into as free and friable 

 a condition as early in the season as possible ; but no manure should be added 

 — presuming that the ground was manured for the previous crop. In spring the 

 first opportunity that occurs should be seized upon for breaking the surface of 

 the soil finely with a fork, sowing each row as the digging proceeds, so as to- 

 prevent the necessity for treading on the soil afterwards. At the same time, 

 we have raised fine crops in light soils by merely levelling the ground with a 

 Dutch hoe, drawing the drills, and raking the surface smooth. This, of 

 course, necessitates a good deal of treading on the soil ; but when the soil is 

 sandy and dry, the treading is beneficial rather than otherwise, which is not the 

 case when the soil is heavy. The nature of the soil must determine which of 

 the two ways ought to be adopted. 



Draw the drills 18 inches apart, and as deep as will allow T of the seeds being 

 covered to the depth of an inch. Scatter the seeds so that they will not be 

 thrown together in heaps, otherwise there will be great difficulty in thinning 

 them. As soon as the plants can be observed, run a hoe between the rows, for 

 the double purpose of killing the weeds and loosening the surface-soil. As 

 soon as they have formed two rough leaves thin them carefully, leaving them 

 six inches apart in the rows. Their after-cultivation merely consists in clearing 

 them of weeds, and in keeping the surface of the soil well loosened with the hoe. 

 They are ready for use whenever large enough, but do not attain perfection 

 until frozen through. They may be allowed to stand where they grow during 

 winter, as no amount of frost will injure them ; while lifting and storing them, 

 as is usually done, spoils them a good deal — so much so, in fact, that we have 

 known them refused by those who otherwise were very fond of them. 



To grow them clean, straight, and large for exhibition purposes, a good plan 

 is to trench a deep, rich piece of soil 3 feet deep or so. Put a layer of well- 

 decomposed manure in the bottom of the trench. Afterwards, when the soil 

 is frozen on the surface, drive a strong sharp-pointed stake at intervals of nine 

 inches in the line down to the bottom of the trench, and fill in the holes with 

 fine light rich soil, made moderately firm to prevent it sinking more than the 

 surrounding surface, and sow a patch of seeds on the top ; and when to remove 

 all but the strongest. 



Carrots. — These are perhaps of more value than Parsnips to the owners of 

 small gardens, and they are more generally used. We recommend pretty 

 much the same treatment as described for Parsnips, but the main crop had 

 better not be sown until the middle or latter end of April, according to the 

 weather. A small bed of Early Horn may, however, be sown in March in 

 some sheltered corner in the full sun, or even at the end of February if a slight 

 hotbed can be afforded them under the protection of an ordinary cold frame. 

 Should young tender Carrots be wanted all through the summer and autumn, 

 sowings may be made at intervals of a month up till July ; but the returns, 

 when the garden ground is limited, will scarcely repay the trouble. Still it 

 often happens that different individuals have different wants, and we have 



