MISCELLANEOUS VEGETABLES 375 



have learned that the crop is no more difficult to grow 

 than many other vegetables which receive our attention 

 and contribute to our earnings. 



The roots for forcing are grown in the open. The soil 

 should be deep, rich and moist, but well drained. Any 

 soil which will grow good parsnips will produce good wit- 

 loof roots. Liberal amounts of rotten manure (fresh 

 manure should never be used) are valuable in growing 

 large roots, and large roots are necessary for growing 

 large heads. Small, crooked, inferior roots never produce 

 a first-class product. 



Care should be exercised in buying seed. If ordinary 

 chicory seed is obtained, the results will be most dis- 

 appointing. A pure forcing strain is essential to success. 

 If the seed is sown too early in the spring, a large per- 

 centage of the plants may go to seed, and the roots of 

 such plants will not do for forcing. Again, roots started 

 too early in the spring do not seem to possess the vitality 

 of younger roots. While the seed may be sown any time 

 during the month of May, there is evidence that just as 

 good and perhaps better roots may be grown from seed 

 sown about June 1, or even a week or two later. 



The rows should not be closer than 15 inches, and 18 

 inches between rows in rich soil will give better results. 

 If the crop is to be cultivated with a horse, not less than 

 28 inches should be allowed between rows. Some grow- 

 ers advocate thinning the plants to stand 6 to 8 inches 

 apart, but this seems to be more space than is really 

 needed to grow large roots, especially if the soil is fertile. 

 If the plants stand at intervals of 4 to 5 inches, the re- 

 sults should be highly satisfactory. The crop should 

 have thorough tillage throughout the summer and early 

 fall. The plants are just as easy to grow as are parsnips. 



The roots should be dug as late as possible in the fall, 

 but before the ground is frozen. The tops are cut back 

 within an inch of the crowns and the roots are then 



