226 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



488. Parsnips succeed best in a deep, well pulverized, loamy 

 soil, but will prosper in much heavier clays than carrots, espe 

 cially if the soil is formed of granitic rocks. They require depth, 

 and consequently the ground should be plowed deeply, or sub- 

 soiled, which is better still ; but they will force their roots in 

 spite of obstructions. Fresh barn-yard manure is not injurious 

 to them. 



489. The land being manured, (if requisite,) and plowed, is 

 harrowed and rolled, and the seed sown broad-cast, by hand in 

 rows, or by drill.* If by either of the first modes, it must be 

 lightly harrowed, care being taken not to bury it above 1 or l 

 inches deep. It is important that the seed be fresh : if two 

 years old it will not vegetate. In Jersey 3 or 4 Ibs. (Le 

 Couteur) in Scotland 10 Ibs. (Stephens) per acre of seed are 

 required. It generally vegetates slowly. Some soak it and 

 mix it with damp sand to hasten germination, but in this case 

 it should not be sown in dry land. If in drills, they should bo 

 just wide enough to admit a one horse plow or cultivator, 

 about 20 inches and by degrees the plants must be thinned to 

 6 or 9 inches apart, according to the size of the variety, and the 

 richness of the soil ; but it is better to sow rather heavily to 

 prevent misses. When the plants are one inch high they are 

 to be weeded with a hoe, and the land must be kept clean in 

 this manner till they are large enough to admit a cultivator. 

 After this they grow very rapidly, and soon cover the ground 

 with their leaves, and prevent the further growth of weeds. 



The following plan is recommended, where a good drill cannot be 

 procured. When the land is well harrowed and leveled, sow the seed 

 broad-cast, harrow, and roll it ; then when the plants appear, hoe 

 into drills, either with a hoe-plow or hand-hoe. 



The chief labor requisite, is keeping down the weeds till the 

 parsnips gain sufficient size to do it themselves. 



The Drills manufactured by Emery & Co., of Albany, N. Y., BOW this seed regu 

 larly and at a proper deptn. 



