CARROT 



191 



of mould, smooth the surface, and 

 cover the glass with mats until the 

 seed comes up. Should the interior 

 get dry, give a slight watering, 

 but be careful of damp. When the 

 plants have four or five leaves, thin 

 them | in. apart ; admit air as often 

 as the temperature will allow it, 

 which will give strength to the 

 seedlings. Take care the heat does 

 not exceed 60 during the day and 

 50 at night, which may be easily 

 regulated by tilting the glass. In 

 the case of sharp frost, covering 

 with mats is preferable to artificial 

 heat. Shading, if needed, must not 

 be omitted. Sowing in November, 

 if carried on practically, will produce 

 fine young Carrots at the end of 

 February, which will last through 

 March and April. Subsequent sow- 

 ings in December for March to 

 April, in January for April to May, 

 and, lastly, in February for April to 

 June must be attended to as re- 

 quired by market-gardeners ; but, 

 in private gardens, the .first bed 

 should be made in November and 

 the second in January ; these will 

 afford an ample supply until new 

 open-ground Carrots are fit for use. 

 Where frames are not available, pre- 

 pare, at the beginning of February, 

 in some warm corner, a bed of hot 

 manure mixed with leaves, covered 

 with 4 or 5 in. of mould; sow the 

 seed and protect with mats supported 

 by sticks or other apparatus. As 

 soon as the seed comes up, remove 

 the covering every day as frequently 

 as the weather will permit, and the 

 crop will be ready from the end of 

 April to the end of May. 



EARLY AND MAIN CROPS. For 

 the first outdoor crop the seed should 

 be sown in February, on a warm, 

 dry border, in 5 in. drills; cover 

 the seed with | in. of fine mould ; 

 when the young plants have formed 

 a few leaves, thin them to i or 2 in. 



apart, hoeing and watering as re- 

 quired. The crop should be ready 

 by the end of May, and will last 

 until the general crop comes in. 

 The best variety for this purpose is 

 the Scarlet Horn. In June sow the 

 same kind of Carrot again, if small 

 roots be preferred. Intermediate 

 Scarlet and Intermediate Nantes are 

 the best varieties for general crops. 

 Sow from March to May (the latter 

 month for winter Carrots), in well- 

 prepared soil, in 9 to 12 in. drills, 

 J in. deep. As the Carrots make 

 their appearance, hoeing, weeding, 

 watering, and thinning them to | in. 

 apart should be duly attended" to. 

 As soon as the plants attain the 

 size of a lead pencil, thin them to 

 3 or 4 in. apart without hesitation. 

 Thinning generally receives too 

 little attention in every country; and 

 the Carrots, crowded when young, 

 are left to be taken up for use when 

 they have attained sufficient size. 

 In most cases the ground gets dry 

 and hard, and thus prevents the 

 lifting of the roots, which are then 

 left until the autumn, when only 

 small, useless Carrots are the result. 



AUTUMN SOWING. In August and 

 September, select a warm border. 

 Sow French Forcing or Scarlet Horn 

 Carrot, as for the early crop. The 

 roots must remain in the ground the 

 whole winter ; but if well protected 

 and the bed covered with i in. of 

 mould, healthy little Carrots will be 

 ready from February until May. 



STORING. In October, before 

 the frosts occur, and on a fine day, 

 take up the crop, cut the leaves | in. 

 from the top, clear the roots from 

 soil, and store them at once in a 

 cold shed or cellar; there arrange 

 them in tiers, spreading between 

 each a layer of sand or dry soil, up 

 to the height of 3 ft., the length 

 being determined by the quantity 

 fo roots ; two boards will secure the: 



