AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



273 



Carrot continued. 



cook. The main crops will be ripe and ready to lift 

 during October, or early in November, according to the 

 season. Carefully lift in dry weather, cutting off the 

 leaves close to the crowns, and store the roots in moist 

 sand or soil, in a cool place. For table use, the Horn 

 varieties are, perhaps, the best. To secure a succes- 

 sion, sow small quantities on a warm border, under a 

 wall, in February, in March, and again in April. The 

 main crop should be sown about the end of March, and 

 additional sowings made each month until August. The 

 smaller kinds will only require a space of about Sin. be- 

 tween, and Gin. in the rows ; on this account, they are 

 most useful for small gardens. 



Forcing. Early Carrots are generally in great demand, 

 and to obtain them it is necessary to sow on a hotbed in 

 early spring. A great heat is not necessary, but it should 

 be constant. Stable litter, with plenty of leaves well 

 mixed with it, should be prepared and put into a frame 

 with a depth of 3ft. or 4ft. Tread it firmly and evenly, and 

 allow it to remain for a few days before sowing. About 

 6in. of light soil will be sufficient, and the seeds may be 

 sown thinly, either broadcast or in shallow drills, after- 

 wards watering in. The first sowing should be made early 

 in February, and succession beds kept up until the end of 

 April, according to the quantity required. Give air on 

 every favourable opportunity so soon as the plants are up, 

 or they will quickly get drawn. They should only be 

 moderately thinned at first, allowing them to grow large 

 enough for use. and then removing the largest each time 

 for this purpose. Early French Forcing is one of the best 

 varieties for forcing purposes. 



FIG. 375. UMBEL OF CARROT. 



An umbel of Carrot, intact, is shown at Fig. 375. It is 

 necessary to thoroughly separate the seeds before sowing. 



FIG. 376. CARROT, JAMES'S INTERMEDIATE. 



Sorts. There are many varieties of Carrots in cultiva- 

 tion, but some are not fit for table use, on account of their 



Carrot continued. 



pale colour or the hardness of the core. The following may 

 be relied on as some of the best for any purpose. Forcing 

 and early crops : Common Early Horn, Early French 

 Forcing, Early Nantes, and Early Short Horn (see Fig. 

 373). Main crops : Altrincham, James's Intermediate (see 

 Fig. 376), Long Horn (see Fig. 374), and Long Eed Surrey. 



CARROT BLOSSOM MOTH (Depressaria dau- 

 cella). The caterpillars of this moth inflict considerable 

 damage on the Carrot seed-crop, in summer, by eating 

 away the flower-heads, which they envelop with their webs. 

 According to Miss Ormerod, the caterpillar is of a greenish- 

 grey or yellowish colour, with black, hairy warts, and some 

 faint streaks along the back ; and the head, as well as the 

 upper side of the first segment behind it, is brown or 

 black. It is only about in. long when full grown. Some- 

 times the caterpillar changes to the chrysalis in the flower- 

 head ; sometimes it bores for this purpose into the stem. 

 The moth is little more than fin. in the spread of the 

 upper wings; the head and body between the wings are 

 reddish-brown, freckled with black. The upper wings are 

 of the same colour, freckled with white, and having black 

 streaks, and the under sides dark; the hind wings are 

 light grey. 



The only effectual way of destroying this pest is to shake 

 the infested plants, when the caterpillars will descend by 

 means of a thread, and may be killed by burning or 

 otherwise. A dusting of powdered Hellebore would pro- 

 bably be of some service; but, being a deadly poison, it 

 should be used with great caution. 



CARROT PLY. See Carrot Grubs. 



CARROT GRUBS (Psila roson). The grub of the 

 Carrot Fly, which plays such havoc among Carrots, is cylin- 

 drical, and of a pale yellow colour ; the body tapers slightly 

 towards the mouth, while the other end is rounded; its 

 skin is smooth and shining ; the tail has two little black 

 tubercles. When the larva is full grown, it quits the 

 Carrot, and, burrowing into the earth, becomes a pupa, 

 light brown in colour, and oval. The perfect fly is shining 

 black, slightly tinged with a greenish lustre. It has 

 yellowish legs, white " balancers," and hyaline transparent 

 wings; the head is reddish-yellow, and the antennae and 

 palpi tipped with black. 



These grubs are probably the most destructive insects 

 that attack Carrots. They bore into the roots, causing the 

 tops to turn brown and eventually to die. The crop is 

 almost entirely lost in some gardens in consequence. As 

 soon as any plants are observed to be sickly, they should 

 be pulled up, and either burned or destroyed by some other 

 means. Dressing the ground with lime the previous 

 autumn, or the drills with lime and soot when sowing, is 

 sometimes a good preventative. It is also important not 

 to use the same ground for Carrots two successive years, 

 especially if these insects or any wireworms are present in 

 the soil. 



CARTHAMUS (from the Arabic qurtom, to paint; 

 Hebrew qarthami ; referring to the flowers yielding a fine 

 colour). Safflower. ORD. Composites. Pretty hardy annuals. 

 Pappus paleaceous, hairy, or none ; receptacle paleaceous, 

 setose; involucre ovate, imbricated; scales ovate, leafy at 

 end. They thrive in any ordinary soil. Seeds should be 

 sown in a gentle hotbed, in spring ; and, when the seedlings 

 are large enough to handle, they should be transplanted to 

 a situation where they are intended to flower. These plants 

 should only be grown in large gardens. 

 C. lanatns (woolly). JL.heads yellow. South Europe, 1596. Hardy 



annual. (B. M. 2142.) 

 C. oxyacantha (sharp-spined). A..heads yellow. July. h. 2ft 



Caucasus, 1818. 

 C. ttnctorius (dyers'). Saffron Thistle. jt.-htad orange. June. 



I. ovate, entire, spiny-toothed. Stem quite smooth. A. 3ft. fc-gypt, 



1551. (B. R. 170.) 



CARTILAGINOUS. Gristly, tough, or leathery. 



2 N 



