CARROTS. 



369 



sown in drills from fifteen to twenty inches apart, the larger varieties requiring more space 

 than the smaller. If the seed of the early varieties is put in early in the spring, the crop 

 will be liable to ripen too soon and not keep as well during the winter as those sown later in 

 the season; but if the sowing be delayed too late, the young plants, being rather weak when 

 they first come up, will be liable to be dried and withered in the hot sun. The seed should 

 be covered evenly to the depth of about an inch. If soaked a day or two in tepid water 

 before sowing, and mixed immediately after in dry plaster or ashes, the plants will come up 

 much sooner, and the first weeding will thus be much easier. As soon as the plants are 

 sufficiently strong, they should be thinned out so as to leave about six inches between each 

 plant, if of the smaller kinds, or eight inches of the larger varieties. The ground should be 

 kept clear of weeds, but deep stirring of the soil should be avoided, as it would have a ten 

 dency to injure the roots, and cause them to grow forked and irregular. There are various 

 weeders, and both 

 horse and hand hoes 

 admirably adapted to . 

 this purpose. 



Cultivating 

 Seed. It is very im 

 portant to secure seed 

 of the previous year s 

 growth, for if older, 

 their germination 

 cannot be depended 

 upon with any de 

 gree of certainty. 

 An ounce of seed 



will sow a hundred and fifty feet of drill, and from two to three pounds will be sufficient for 

 an acre. In securing seed for carrots, it is important that the best roots be selected for the 

 purpose those of good size, form, and color. These should be set out as early as the ground 

 will admit, without danger from frost, in land deeply plowed and properly fertilized. The roots 

 should be well covered, and if they are very long, holes should be made for them in the soil 

 with an iron bar. The rows should be from three to four feet apart, and the roots from one 

 and a half to two feet apart in the row. They should have an occasional hoeing and be kept 

 free from weeds. &quot;When the branches become dry and yellow and the seed turns brown, the 

 heads may be cut and put in a dry place. The heads will ripen unevenly, and will require 

 cutting at different times. 



Harvesting and Storing. The crop should be gathered before being injured by 

 the frost, and in dry weather when the roots will come out of the ground dry and clean. 

 They may be harvested with facility by running a plow on one side of the rows, after which 

 they can be easily removed by hand; but care should be taken not to injure or bruise them 

 in any way, as it will cause them to decay. The tops should be cut close to the crown to 

 prevent sprouting in winter. They should lie a day in the sun, and become well dried and a 

 little wilted before storing. They may be deposited in small heaps in a cool cellar and 

 covered with dry sand, or stored in trenches, the same as other roots. Carrots are apt to 

 sweat and heat when packed away in large quantities. They will keep best in a dry place 

 and one that is sufficiently cool to avoid freezing, dampness and heat being detrimental to 

 their good preservation. 



KNOX S CARROT AND COTTON WEEDER. 



