240 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



Field Varieties. Several large, yellow and white va- 

 rieties are used for stock purposes. The richer color and 

 more convenient size of the yellow varieties, like the Long 

 Orange, hold them in favor as a marketable stock carrot, 

 but the large size and greater crop of the Large White 

 Belgian makes it a favorite where the crop is to be fed 

 at home. This variety is grown in all California dairy 

 regions. It sometimes reaches a weight of 16 pounds or 

 more and a yield of over 40 tons to the acre on rich, deep 

 land, though half these figures would better suit average 

 conditions. Half-long Giant White has the advantage of 

 bulk without great depth. 



Garden Carrots. As already stated garden carrots 

 should be grown quickly with acceptable heat and mois- 

 ture. Simple forcing conditions, like a bed of five or six 

 inches of good loam over a foot or more of tamped man- 

 ure and a slight protective covering will give very sweet 

 and tender roots to the short varieties in our coldest 

 weather. But so much can be done with the ridge system 

 or with raised beds described in a previous chapter and 

 with other simple modifications of open air conditions that 

 very little forcing is done. 



Country gardeners, as a rule, do not know much about 

 the best table carrots. They supply their tables and their 

 stock too often from the same sowing when much sweeter 

 and tenderer roots should be grown in the garden by small 

 sowings of the improved table varieties. Those which are 

 most grown in California are the following: 



Early French forcing carrot: very early, small, globu- 

 lar form, and fine flavor. 



Ox-heart or Guerande : very short, almost cup-shaped, 

 very rapid grower, early and excellent. Considerably im- 

 proved recently by selection. 



Half Long Danvers : a popular market variety, strong 

 grower and succeeding on a wide range of soils ; rich color 

 and good flavor. 



Improved Long Orange : smoother and more uniform 

 than the old sort; also better flavor and color. 



