BEETS, CARROTS, AND PARSNIPS 13 



Because of this it is necessary to thin the seedlings even 

 if the seed is scattered sparsely in the drill. The seed- 

 lings thinned out are commonly saved for beet-greens. 

 Early in the season the beets are sold in bunches; 

 later by the bushel. Three hundred bushels per acre is 

 a fair yield. 



The Carrot 



The great family of plants which have small flowers 

 grouped together in flat-topped clusters or umbels is 

 called UmbeUiferae. It includes three well-known vege- 

 tables, two of which — carrot and parsnip — are culti- 

 vated for their roots, and one — parsley — for its leaves 

 and leaf-stems. All are hardy species and from the point 

 of view of seed production are biennials. 



The cultivated Carrot is believed to have been de- 

 veloped at least two thousand years ago, from the Wild 

 Carrot, a familar weed called by botanists Daucus carota. 

 Its original home was probably Europe or Asia. The 

 Carrot is now an indispensable vegetable for use in 

 soups, stews, and salads, as well as for table use alone 

 and for feeding stock. 



The original long Carrot has been developed through 

 selection into three distinct forms as to length — Short 

 or Globular, Half-long, and Long. The two latter have 

 also two types of pointedness, one set of varieties being 

 distinctly pointed at the lower end and the other set 

 blunt or rounded. There are also four types of color 

 in the roots — white, yellow-red or orange-red and purple. 

 The yellow and the orange-red types are the most 

 popular. 



The main crop of Carrots requires a long season for 



