ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 221 



first indications of returning warmth, and its green leaves 

 are among the first which cheer the garden. On this ac 

 count it must be dug early in the spring and housed, or it 

 will spoil by growth. 



We know of no difference in varieties. The Guernsey^ 

 is not a different sort from the common, but only the com 

 mon sort, very highly cultivated in that island, where it 

 sometimes grows to a length of four feet. The hollow- 

 crowned and Siam are mentioned in English catalogues, as 

 fine fleshed and flavored, but we have never been able to 

 obtain seed of them. 



The parsnip (Pastinacea sativa) is a native of Great 

 Britain and is found wild by the road-sides, delighting par 

 ticularly in calcareous soils. It has hitherto been supposed 

 that the seed would not retain its germinating power more 

 than one year, but Mr. Mendenhall states that he has raised 

 freely from four year old seed. The parsnip is much sown 

 as a field crop at the east, yielding 1,000 bushels, on good 

 land, to the acre. They are invaluable both to cows 

 and horses. The quantity and quality of milk in cows 

 is improved ; and no farmer with whom butter-making is a 

 considerable object of interest, should be without a root 

 crop beet, carrot, or ruta baga. 



CARROT. (Daucus carota). This is a native of Great 

 Britain. The early horn and Altringham are the best 

 varieties sold by our seedsmen. Beside their use upon the 

 table, they are largely and deservedly cultivated in the field 

 for stock. A horse becomes more fond of them than of oats, 

 and they do not, like the potato, require boiling before feed 

 ing out. A thousand bushels may be raised to the acre. 

 The premium of the New York Agricultural Society for the 

 year 1844, was to a crop of 1,059 bushels the acre. 

 The seed should be new each year, as it will not 

 come well even the second year, and not at all if kept yet 

 longer. 



RADISH. Every garden has its bed of radishes, and they 



