THE PARSNIP. 241 



Chantenay: short and sturdy, bright orange-scarlet, 

 early. 



Improved Short White: best of the whites, short and 

 cylindrical. 



Red St. Valery : one of the best of the medium long va- 

 rieties. 



Early Scarlet or Short Horn : largely grown and of 

 good quality. 



Champion Scarlet Horn: an English variety, rather 

 large but rich in flavor and tender throughout, deep red 

 color, commended for quality. 



THE PARSNIP. 



Parsnips are not largely grown in California. Two con- 

 siderations may be involved in an explanation of this fact : 

 one is that our winter supply of fresher vegetables re- 

 lieves us from dependence upon root-boiling, which is the 

 staple resource of so many dwellers in cold climates ; an- 

 other is, that the parsnip, if sown early, is not always con- 

 tent to remain dormant and crisp for months as it does 

 beneath the snow. It quickly responds to our winter 

 warmth and moisture and starts second growth, which 

 renders the root woody and flavorless. It is quite possible 

 for parsnip lovers in warm, moist regions to overcome this 

 by mid-summer sowing or it can be prevented in other 

 places by digging the roots and storing them in boxes or 

 barrels of sand in a dry, cool place, and it really should be 

 urged that this be done more widely, because those who 

 are not fitted by location or inclination to start fall growth 

 of vegetables for winter eating, should have a good sup- 

 ply of parsnips, which are, to most tastes, delicious. It is 

 not to be expected in this climate that the parsnip will be 

 called upon to render the important service that it does 

 in the East whenever the snow uncovers the ground in 

 the winter or spring, because at that very time we have 

 abundance of fresh vegetables hardy in our climate. 



Soil and Culture. The excellence of the parsnip is 

 vested in a well-developed root, and to secure this, rich, 



