186 GARDENING FOE PROFIT. 



PARSNIP. — (Pastinaca sativa.) 



Of late years, our market garden grounds have become 

 too valuable to be used in growing tins vegetable, the 

 competition from well cultivated farm lands having 

 brought it down below our paying level. Its cultivation 

 is, in all respects, similar to the Carrot. The soil most 

 suitable is a deep sandy loam, moderately enriched. It 

 is sown rather thickly in our gardens in early spring, at 

 a distance of 12 or 14 inches apart in the rows ; on farm 

 lands, at 18 or 20 inches, or wide enough for rows to be 

 worked between by the cultivator. Like all vegetables 

 of this nature, it must be thinned out to a distance of 3 

 or 4 inches apart between the plants ; and our oft repeat- 

 ed caution about weeds must be here again enjoined. It 

 is used almost exclusively in winter, but in our Northern 

 States, what is wanted for winter use, must be dug up in 

 fall, and packed away in the manner described under the 

 head of " Preserving Vegetables in Winter." What are 

 wanted for sale or use in spring, are best kept in the bed 

 where they grow ; being entirely hardy iu our coldest 

 districts. About one-half is usually dug up and pitted in 

 fall, for sale in winter, and the other half left over for 

 spring. But it sometimes happens that the winter sup- 

 ply is exhausted before the frost is out of the ground in 

 spring, sufficiently to permit of their being dug, and when 

 procurable at such times, they command almost fabulous 

 prices. 



On one such occasion my salesman reported that there 

 was not a root of this vegetable to be found in market, 

 and suggested an attempt to dig them at any cost. On 

 an examination of a well sheltered plot, we found it prac- 



