OF CROPS USUALLY CULTIVATED. 301 



the ground was dry, he let them remain with their tops on, 

 to guard them from the frost, and raised them as he had 

 occasion : frost destroys them, if left in wet ground, during 

 the winter ; but in dry ground they keep best till the spring, 

 when they begin to grow, and should be raised in March. 

 Mr Butterworth sowed about 7 Ib. of seed * per Scotch acre ; 

 they yielded a profit equal to wheat, and improved the soil, 

 till he had the best crops of barley and wheat after, that 

 could be imagined ; the ground was very indifferent, before 

 it was improved by the cultivation of carrots. He sold the 

 spot, which was at Burnhead and Stonehouse, near Liber- 

 ton, twelve years ago, at more than double the price paid 

 for it, without any improvement, except by cultivating it 

 with carrots. On an average, the produce was about 2200 

 stones, or 13| tons per Scotch acre. Where the ground 

 was cold, and not sheltered, the ground was not sown till 

 April. 



Mr Guthrie states, that in the attempts he made to steep 

 the seed, he partly succeeded, and partly failed, the seed 

 being bad ; it was steeped in pure water twenty-four hours.f 

 He has tried to transplant carrots, but did not find it to an- 

 swer. He does not think it a good plan to cut off the tops, 

 the second growth coming too late to protect the carrots 

 from the frost, as he allowed them to remain in the ground 

 during the winter. He has given them to his horses du- 

 ring the whole of April, quite sound and fresh, and they 

 eat the tops as well as the root. 



Mr Paterson of Castle-Huntly also cultivates carrots. 

 He cuts the tops as required, and gives them to the cows ; 



* Never more than 5 Ibs. of seed sown in Suffolk broad-cast by the 

 best farmers ; the seed being good, that is to say, new. This is nearly 

 the same as 7 Ibs. per Scotch acre. 



t In Suffolk, this is reckoned a most important part of the system. 



