232 



VEGETABLE GARDENING 



crop, it is important to use only manure which is well 

 rotted, as the application of fresh manure seems to encour- 

 age the formation of side roots. Also on hard land, there 

 is often a tendency for the roots to form side roots, and, 

 as what is desired is a rather thick tap root, side roots are to 

 be avoided. It is important to sow the seed early and 

 quite thick, thinning out later in order to be sure of having 

 a good stand of plants. The seed germinates rather 

 slowly, and it is often an advantage to sow a few radish 

 seed with the parsnips. This is a good 

 plan on land that bakes easily. 



Parsnips are a very hardy crop, and 

 may be left in the ground until late 

 autumn or even over winter. In fact, 

 many believe that freezing parsnips in the 

 ground improves their quality. They 

 may be safely pitted outdoors by putting 

 them in heaps, covering with a few 

 inches of hay or straw and then a foot 

 of earth. Treated in this way, they can 

 be taken out at any time during the 

 winter or early spring. It is not advis- 

 able to leave the crop in the ground 

 over winter, since it cannot then be dug 

 until the frost is out of the ground in 

 the spring, by which time the demand for 

 parsnips will have considerably lessened. 

 If kept in an ordinary cellar, they should be covered 

 with earth or sand to prevent wilting. 



In marketing the parsnip, it is often customary, after 

 trimming off all side shoots, to sell them by the basket 

 without washing. A far better and more equitable plan 

 is to sell them by weight. In some of the best markets, 



Fig. 97. Hollow 

 Crown parsnip. 



