420 On the Ctiltvre of Carrots. 



in drills, and we Icnow, on much more extensive practice, that 

 they will succeed equally well broadcast. The most material 

 point is, to inquire in what situation and circumstances either 

 of these modes should be applied. Where hoeing broadcast 

 crops is common husbandry, and well practised, there can be no 

 objection to this method ; but where hoeing is ill understood, 

 and the people must be taught how to do it, drilling is certainly 

 the preferable mode, as the cleaning and setting out the plants 

 in the rows, after men have hoed the intervals, may be well ex- 

 ecuted by women and children. Let it not however be imagined, 

 that by proceeding in this manner, the expense will be reduced; 

 it will, on the contrary, run higher than hoeing broadcast crops 

 in Suffolk, until the women and children are become expert in 

 the use of three- or four-inch hoes with short handles. Two or 

 three hoeings should be given in quick succession after each 

 other, for setting out the plants with as much regularity as pos- 

 sible to the distance of eight or nine inches in the rows ; after 

 which, no other attention is required than such as is necessary 

 for destroying all weeds. Whoever have made the experiment of 

 hoeing and weeding crops of carrots, must be deficient in com- 

 mon attention, if they do not see the necessity of three points 

 already noticed ; first, to sow them on clean land, after turnips, 

 or turnip-land barley ; second, not to dung for them ; and, 

 third, to plough but onqe. 



The difficulty of drilliag carrot-seed is so great, that it is much 

 to be lamented that a premium is not offered by some public 

 body, for procuring a machine that would do it accurately: I do 

 not mean a premium of 20/. 30Z. or 50/., but such an one as 

 should prove a recompense for time and ingenuity. I take the 

 best method hitherto known, to be that of Mr. Honeybourne, 

 mixing saw-dust with the seed most carefullv, and drilling it 

 with the wheat-cups of Cooke's machine: the distance of rows 

 to be one foot. 



Chap. X. — Culture whilst Growing. 

 § 1. — Weeding. 



In the carrot district of Suffolk, the only hand-weeding given, 

 is that of sending in women now and then, to draw out such 

 weeds as escaped the hand-hoes ; and even this is not always 

 necessarv ; the bargain made with the men is that of doing 

 all that is necessary in the act of hoeing. But when crops are 

 drilled in countries not well skilled in hoeing, weeding and 

 thinning by hand are operations that require much attention : 

 it must be done bv women paid by the day; and men with hoes 

 should follow them immediately. After the work of thinning 

 and weeding is sufficiently completed for leaving the plants re- 



