CHAP. VI.] CARROTS. 145 



the -tubers from becoming tough and stringy 

 They will seldom want any other culture; and 

 about the end of May, if the weather has been 

 favourable, they will be ready for use. A 

 second sowing is generally made about the 

 middle of May; and a third, for the main crop, 

 towards the end of June. A still later sowing 

 is often made in August, for plants to stand 

 through the winter, and supply the greens called 

 turnip tops in February, March, and April. 



Besides the turnips usually sold in seed- 

 shops, the Teltow, or small yellow German 

 turnip, the French long white, and the Scotch 

 vellow. are well deserving of cultivation for 

 their excellence. The common turnip, the 

 carrot, and the parsnep, are natives of England. 



Carrots are of two kinds : the Long Carrots, 

 the taproot of which tapers gradually from the 

 crown to the point; and the Horn Carrots, the 

 taproot of which continues of nearly the same 

 thickness for three-fourths of its length, and 

 then abruptly diminishes to a very long and 

 slender fibrous root. There are numerous sub- 

 varieties of both kinds. The goodness of the 

 carrot depending entirely on the ease with 

 which the root can penetrate the soil, it is 

 obvious that the soil in which these plants are 

 grown must not be of a very adhesive nature ; 

 and thus the best soil for carrots is red sand, or 

 sandy peat. When soils of this nature cannot 

 be procured, the ground should be trenched two 

 spades deep, and a very little thoroughly rotten 

 dun» - , or vegetable mould, should be well mixed 

 with the earth in digging the lower spadeful. 

 If manure in a fresh state be laid on a carrot 



