Ch. XXIII.] ON CARROTS AND PARSNIPS. SOl 



length of an incl), and they are then packed in barns with straw, taking 

 care that they are dry enough, and allowing air to have access to them, 

 yet carefully excluding the frost. In the following year, when the season 

 has become dry, in February or March, a fresh piece of rich land, if to be 

 had on the farm, is chosen for the second planting ; or if that cannot be 

 procured, a piece of deep soil well manured with dung and earth, and deeply 

 ploughed, so as to allow full room for the penetration of the roots. 



The modes of planting are thus — the top-end of the roots is cut off, 

 and four or five are planted together, within the compass of a square foot, 

 at the distance of a yard from each other : the roots are then thrust into 

 holes of a proper size and de[)th, made by a wooden dibble cased with iron 

 at the tip ; the same individual making the hole with one hand, and put' 

 ting in the plant with the other, while a boy going before him lays down the 

 proper number at the spaces intended for each hill or cluster. They are 

 hoed four or five times in the course of the summer, beginning as soon as 

 the plants are above ground, and the clusters are moulded and rounded up 

 into hills after the third hoeing ; the hill being regularly enlarged and 

 heightened by a fourth, and sometimes a fifth, hoeing. Some persons how- 

 ever plant them singly, three feet from carrot to carrot, and two feet in a 

 row, in a quincunx position. In Yorkshire they are usually dibbled in rows 

 of 30 inches distance, and planted separately at 20 inches apart; for if too 

 much space be allowed, the stems are apt to be broken down by rain and 

 wind before the seed is ripened. The roots are not there cut at the time of 

 planting; but in all cases those of a moderate size are considered the best, 

 and the hoeings are very necessary both to keep the land clean and to en- 

 courage the vigour of the stem. 



The gathering of seed is generally performed by women, who go between 

 every row, and with a knife or scissors cut off the heads which appear to 

 be ripe, and which they drop carefully into a bag or basket suspended round 

 their neck. The ripening is very irregular in point of time, and this ope- 

 ration must therefore be frequently repeated ; sometimes four or five times. 

 The heads are then carried to the barn and laid up in packs, or wool-bags, 

 until they are thrashed for market. The thrashing must be performed 

 three or four times over before the seed can be completely separated from 

 the husk ; and in the interval between each thrashing respectively, it is 

 sifted through sieves, every one finer in succession to the last and final 

 thrashing. After all, there is, however, some offal or refuse remaining, 

 which, though not sufficiently clean for the market, yet answers the 

 farmer's purpose for his own sowing. 



The seed of parsnips separates with more freedom, and therefore may 

 be prepared for market with less trouble. It may also be grown upon the 

 same soil as that upon which the roots have stood, and, indeed, it is a plant 

 of so much more hardy a nature than the carrot, that it is frequently left 

 to stand out in gardens to the second year without removal. This, how- 

 ever, even if danger were not to be apprehended from the climate, is a plan 

 which cannot be conveniently practised iu field-culture, as of course the 

 best roots should be selected for planting, and were they allowed to stand 

 when the remainder of the crop is taken up, they would occupy the ground 

 unnecessarily. 



The quantity of roots, of either kind, when planted for seed, is usually about 

 80 bushels per acre, and the produce may be estimated at from 

 6 to 10 cwt. per acre of carrot, 

 8 to 12 ,, ditto of parsnip. 

 The price is very various at different seasons : in the latter end of the 



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