Cultivation of Arable Land. Carrots Taking up Crops of. 201 



riod of performing the bufinefs is in September or October, when the tops firft 

 begin to turn of a yellowifh colour, and to iofe their frefhnefs. Thcfc points 

 fhould be nicely attended to ; as, if the work be delayed too long, much lofs 

 will be fuftained, in the tops being confiderably decreafed in bulk, and rendered 

 almoft incapable of being confumed by fvvine or neat cattle ; and when performed 

 too early, the roots will not by any means keep fo well. 



In taking up the crops two methods have been practifed ; thofe of raifing the 

 roots by means of the plough, and the fork. The firft is the moft expeditious, 

 but the roots are apt to be much broken ; while by loofening the mould by three- 

 pronged forks of fufficient length, and at the fame time drawing up the plants by 

 the tops, they may be raifed with great facility, and without fuftaining injury. 

 This method, though perhaps rather more expenfive, ought in general to be 

 adopted. After being raifed from the ground, the roots mould be fuffered to 

 remain in the field for two or three days, that they may become perfectly dry. 

 With this intention they are fometirnes piled up in fmall heaps or wads. When 

 fully dry, the tops are cut off, and the roots packed up in heaps with dry ftraw, 

 or, when in fmall quantities, with dry fand, in fome dry clofe building, a good 

 covering of the former being laid over them. This is the moft fecure method. 

 But when the crops are extenfive, they are fometimes built up in the field or other 

 convenient place, in rows or ridges, at the diftance of two feet from each other, 

 tops outwards, with dry ftraw, to about four feet in height: the intervals being then 

 fluffed, and the tops well covered over by it, fedge or fome other fimilar material 

 being applied by way of thatch. The outfides are alfo protected by ftraw, kept 

 clofe by means offtakes or hurdles.* In this mode, which can only be pracrifed 

 in very dry fituations, there is a great lofs from the tops not being removed and 

 eaten before they were put up. In dry fituations they may, however, be well pre- 

 ferved without this trouble or expence, in fheds or other convenient places. But 

 in whatever way they may be preferved, they fhould not be put up in too large 

 quantities or too clofely together, as they are liable to be much injured by 

 heating. 



The expence of taking carrots up muft vary much with the goodnefs of the 

 crop, the nature of the land, &c. The average of feveral trials on different kinds 

 of foil, under different forts of culture and management, and in different fituations, 

 has been calculated at 17*. Sd. the acrc.t In many cafes it will not, however, 



* Annals of Agriculture, ro,l. II. t Ibid. vol. XXV. 



VOL. ii. D d 



