ROOT AND STEM CROPS 



387 



administered in lumpy masses but be thoroughly mixed with 

 the soil. 



CARROTS. The carrot revels in a light soil, and the sowing of 

 seed on heavy, clayey land should therefore be avoided. As in 

 the case of all tap-rooted vegetables there is urgent need for deep 

 tilling. Sowing is best done in drills ten inches apart. The seed 

 is fine and light, and so that thin sowing may be rendered more 

 certain it is a good plan to mix some sand with the seed and after- 

 wards to distribute it evenly along the drills. 



Shortly after the feathery shoots make their appearance above 

 the ground as soon indeed 

 as they can be conveniently 

 handled a rigorous thin- 

 ning out will be necessary. 



The accompanying dia- 

 gram, which shows a sec- 

 tion of a row of carrots 

 before and after the thin- 

 ning-out process, indicates 

 clearly what is required. 

 Neglect to perform this 

 operation at the earliest 

 possible moment will spell 

 disaster. If the carrots be 

 allowed to become overcrowded the product will be nothing but 

 a multitude of attenuated roots, little thicker than a lead pencil. 

 These are, of course, useless for culinary purposes. 



In thinning out some study must be made of the requirements 

 of the varieties to be dealt with. If they be short-rooted the 

 seedlings should be thinned ultimately to six inches apart. The 

 longer and larger varieties require more space, and will need to be 

 thinned out so that the roots that remain are from nine to twelve 

 inches apart. 



After the thinning-out operation has been successfully per- 

 formed the ultimate success of the crop will then depend largely 

 on the frequent use of the hoe. This implement should be plied 



Diagram 68. 

 THINNING OUT CARROTS. 



The diagram shows, on the left, the good 

 effects of a vigorous thinning out of carrots, 

 and on the right, the evil results of neglect- 

 ing this operation. 



