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LXVIII. On the Culture of Carrots. Drown up by tlie Secre- 

 tary of the Board ofAgrietdture, ly order oj the Board*. 



Chap. I, — Climate. 



v\ 



HE circumstance which chiefly deserves attention under this 

 liead, is the fact, sufficiently ascertained, that they thrive to great 

 advantage in Scotland : it may therefore be taken for granted, 

 tliat this article of climate affords no objection to undertaking 

 this branch of cultivation, in any part of the United Kingdom. 



Chap. II. — Soil. 

 The best soil for carrots is a rich deep sand : in the carrot 

 district in Suffolk, they have red sands with such a principle of 

 adhesion, as to form small clods, which, however, break with a 

 slight touch ; these, according to fertility, produce from 500 to 

 700 bushels per acre, and sometimes even more. But here it is 

 particularly necessary to observe, that the cultivation is not con- 

 fined to such rich sand ; for the root is sown on very poor ones, 

 such as will not produce aliove 200 bushels per acre : nor is the 

 culture confined to any sort of sand, but is found on all dry loams, 

 so that it may be received as a maxim, that carrots may be sown 

 on all soils on which turnips can be properly eaten, where they 

 grow, by sheep. I cultivated this root for many years success- 

 fully, on a large scale on turnip loams, some of which were rather 

 too wet for eating turnips on the land, when the season was un- 

 favourable. Nor does this root require any considerable depth 

 of soil, as I have know'n them produce greatly with common 

 ploughini', on a soil oidy six inches deep; the roots were ill- 

 shaped, but as good for live stock as the more handsome ones. 

 They have also thriven to very great advantage on drained bogs, 

 and other peat soils. It is of particular importance, that the 

 notion of confining carrots to sand, should be exploded, as the 

 fact is, that they do well on all dry soils. 



Chap. 111. — Coune of Crops. 

 This is an object of the highest consequence, for success will 

 depend greatly on the previous arrangement which has taken 

 place. Among the great farmers in the carrot district of Suffolk, 

 those who have most ex|)crience, and whose efforts have been 

 attended with the greatest success, turnips fed off by sheep are 

 reckoned the best of all preparations: next to this, and the more 

 common practice, is to sow them on a i)arley stubble following 

 such turnips, the farmer abstaining from all grass seeds, with a 

 view to the carrot crop. Barley remaining but a short time on 



* From the Comniunicalloiib to the Board of Agriculture. 



the 



