THE DAWN OF SPRING 



Early Carrots. — Carrots are favoured by light, friable March 

 soil, and in such a medium seed may be sown out of ^~^5 

 doors early in March ; but in heavy soil, especially if in 

 exposed places, the conditions are hardly likely to be 

 favourable at present. The ground does not need manure, 

 but it requires just as much mechanical treatment as may 

 be necessary to reduce it to a thoroughly friable con- 

 dition. This object should be achieved, if possible, 

 without the addition of disintegrating substances like 

 cinders. The finer the particles of soil, the more likely 

 the Carrots are to be clean and well-shaped. Wood- 

 ashes may be sprinkled in the drills when sowing, and it 

 is not a bad plan to mix them with crushed oyster-shells^ 

 which can be bought from many manure dealers at a 

 low rate. The drills may be drawn fifteen inches apart, 

 and the seed covered with an inch of soil. Early Gem, 

 Guerande, Model, Summer Favourite, Stump-rooted, and 

 Scarlet Perfection are all good varieties, and it does not 

 matter which of them is chosen. 



Planting Potatoes. — If sets of early Potatoes have been 

 treated as advised in a previous chapter — that is, sprouted 

 in shallow boxes, they ought to have shoots on them now 

 an inch long, thick, green or purple, and firmly attached 

 to the tuber. Such prepared sets may be planted a foot 

 apart in rows two feet asunder, and covered with six 

 inches of well-pulverised soil. Planting so early is quite 

 practicable in light, friable, fairly dry soil, in a sheltered 

 place; but there need be no hurry to plant in heavy, 

 damp soil, or in cold situations. Well-sprouted sets will 

 not deteriorate in their boxes as long as they are kept in 

 a light place, and safe from frost ; indeed, they will be as 

 good in April as they are now. Sharpe's Express, Ring- 

 leader, Ashleaf, Duke of York, May Queen, Ninetyfold, 

 and Midlothian Early are varieties from which a choice 

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