No. 4.] ROOT CHOPS. 139 



THE MOEE IMPORTANT ROOT CROPS OF THE 

 MARKET GARDEN/ 



BY H. F. THOMPSON, SEEKONK, MASS., FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF MAR- 

 KET GARDENING AT THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



The following-named crops form the root crops of most impor- 

 tance to the market gardener, namely, beets, carrots, turnips, pars- 

 nips, radishes and onions. 



Beets, Carrots and Turnips. 



These crops are usually grown from two main sowings, the first 

 for the summer market, when the crop is sold bunched, and the 

 second for the winter market, when the crop is sold busheled. The 

 soil for these crops should be rich and mellow, a well-manured, deep, 

 sandy loam being ideal. It is very important, especially for beets, 

 that the soil be free from all free acid. To make sure tliat any acid 

 condition of the soil is corrected, a liberal amount of lime, wood 

 ashes or basic slag meal should be applied. A large bulk of fresh 

 stable manure is not desirable where these root crops are to be 

 grown. It is by far preferable, for these crops, to apply a heavy 

 coating of good stable manure the fall preceding, and plow it in. 

 By spring it will have become quite thoroughly incorporated with 

 the soil, and be in excellent condition to further a I'apid growth of 

 these root crops during April and May. 



Turnips are not nearly as extensively grown for a bunch crop as 

 beets and carrots. The demand is much less and the difficulty of 

 raising a satisfactory crop much greater, due to insect injury, par- 

 tionlarlj' by the turnip root maggot. Beets lead in importance, with 

 carrots second and turnips third. All of these crops should be 

 planted early, about as soon as the land can be worked in the spring. 

 Beets and carrots are usually planted in rows from 12 to 18 inches 

 apart, and when the plants have reached a height of from 3 to 6 

 inches they should be thinned, to allow room for rapid growth and 

 full development. Sufficient thinning is a distinct factor in early 

 development. Beets should be thinned to 6 inches and carrots to 3. 

 The thinnings from the early beets can usually be sold as beet greens, 



» Crop Report for July, 1011. 



