AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



27 



Parsnip continued. 



be fit for use, and a stock may be lifted and stored in 

 a cool shed, for that purpose being covered with sand 

 or light soil. Parsnips are, however, much better if dng 

 from the ground as required for use ; consequently, only 

 enough should be stored inside for maintaining a supply 

 in frosty weather up till February, or until growth 

 recommences, when the whole stock must be dug up. 

 A Parsnip, with a portion of its leaves removed, is repre- 

 sented in Fig. 33. 



FIG. 33. PARSNIP. 



Seed Saving. Parsnip seed does not satisfactorily 

 retain its germinative powers longer than one year. If 

 seed is to be raised, a few of the best roots should be 

 carefully planted in a sheltered position early in the 

 year. The seed will ripen in quantity during the latter 

 part of summer, when it may be dried and stored in 

 the ordinary way. 



Sorts. These are not numerous. The following are 

 the best: HOLLOW-CKOWNED, large, heavy, and of ex- 

 cellent quality ; best for general use. LARGE GUERNSEY, 

 roots large, long, and tapering; a variety extensively 

 cultivated in the Channel Islands. THE STUDENT, 

 medium size, of superior flavour and good quality. 



There is a variety called Turnip-rooted, because of 

 its roots resembling Turnips in shape and growing prin- 

 cipally above ground. It is not much cultivated, but 

 has been recommended for shallow soils, on which the 

 other sorts do not properly succeed. 



Pests. The Parsnip is occasionally liable to the 

 attacks of Fungi, of which, probably, the worst are 

 Erisyphe Martii and Peronospora nivea; but the crop 

 seldom suffers much from these causes. Means of pre- 

 vention and of remedy will be found under the headings 

 Mildew, Oidium, and Feronospora (which see). 



Parsnip continued. 



The insects that most frequently injure Parsnips 

 also affect various allied plants, notably the Carrot, and 

 they will be found mentioned under the following head- 

 ings: Carrot Blossom Moth, (Depressaria daucella 

 or D. nervosa), Carrot Grubs (Psila Rosas), Celery 

 Ply (Tephritis Onopordinis), Plat-body Motb. (Depres- 

 saria applana or D. cicutella), Parsnip-Seed Moth 

 (D. Heradeana), and Purple Carrot-Seed Moth 

 (D. depressella). Their appearance, habits, and modes of 

 doing damage, and the best remedies against each, will 

 be found in detail under these heads, but may be sum- 

 marised here as follows : 



Psila Rosas is a small, two-winged fly, the grubs of 

 which are slender, white or yellowish, and about $in. 

 long. They burrow into the tap-roots of Parsnips and 

 of Carrots, forming narrow, irregular galleries. The 

 diseased plants show the injury by the outer leaves 

 drooping and turning yellow. It has been found useful, 

 as a remedy, to water the plants with solutions of 

 paraffin (one ounce to one gallon of water) or of alum, 

 or liquid manure ; and gas-lime, soot, or sand prepared 

 with tar (one gallon to a barrowful of sand), are all 

 useful applications if dug into the soiL 



Tephritis Onopordinis is harmful, inasmuch as the 

 grubs burrow between the surfaces of the leaves of 

 Parsnips, producing large, pale patches, in which the 

 surfaces are separated from each other. These patches 

 are useless for the nutrition of the plant; hence, when 

 numerous, much injury is done to the leaves. One or 

 more grubs are present in each patch. When full-fed, 

 they generally bore through the skin of the leaf, and 

 into the soil, and in it they turn into brown, oval pupae ; 

 but sometimes they become pupa in the discoloured 

 patches of the leaves. From the pupae, in a fortnight 

 or so in summer, or after the winter, emerge brown or 

 yellowish two-winged flies, about the size of house flies, 

 with brown-spotted wings and green eyes. The best 

 remedy is to crush the spots, when they are small, 

 between the finger and thumb, or pick off and burn the 

 diseased leaves. The leaves may also be sprinkled with 

 lime, or gas-lime, or soot, to prevent deposition of the 

 eggs. The pupae may be destroyed by digging gas-lime 

 into the soil in autumn and winter, or by paring off 

 and burning Sin. or 4in. of the surface soiL 



All the moths that need be noticed here belong to 

 the genus Depressaria, a rather large group of insects, 

 included in the Tineina (which see for characters). 

 They vary from a little over iin. to lin. across the 

 wings. The fore wings are cut square at the tips, and 

 the hind margin of the hind wings is generally notched 

 near the base. The insects are usually grey, reddish- 

 brown, or brown, and the fore wings bear darker spots 

 or streaks. Several of these moths live on umbelli- 

 ferous plants, in the umbels of flowers, or in pieces of 

 the leaves so rolled as to form tubes. The parts 

 occupied by them are spun together by means of silk, 

 and thus afford them protection from enemies of every 

 kind. When the web is torn, or even if the plant is 

 shaken, the larvae wriggle to the exterior, and drop to 

 the ground, to re-ascend at leisure. When full-fed, they 

 usually bore into stems of the food-plant, and in them 

 become pupae. In this state they frequently hibernate, 

 though some live through the winter as moths. Those 

 larvae that feed on the leaves do comparatively little 

 harm, but those that feed in the umbel eat the flowers 

 and fruits, and do much mischief to the seed crop. The 

 best remedy is hand-picking, or shaking the affected 

 umbels. The larvae readily fall out, and should be 

 trampled upon and crushed before they can crawl away, 

 or again reach the umbels. 



PARSNIP PIiY. See Tephritui Onopordinis, 

 under PAKSNIP PESTS. 



