THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 223 



stand eventually three or four inches apart. I do 

 not advise very large, coarse roots for the table. 

 For home use I think only three varieties are es- 

 sential. The Egyptian Turnip Beet is the best 

 very early variety, and can be planted closely, as 

 it has a small top ; the Bassano is next in earliness, 

 and requires more room ; the Early Blood Turnip 

 is the best for a general crop and winter use. The 

 beet is a root which deteriorates rapidly from age ; 

 I therefore advise that the seed of the winter sup- 

 ply be sown the last of June or first of July in our 

 latitude. 



Parsnips should be sown at the same time with 

 early beets and in the same way, with the excep- 

 tion that the seed should be covered only an inch 

 deep. I doubt whether there are any marked dis- 

 tinctions in variety, and would advise that only the 

 Long Smooth or Hollow-crowned be sown. 



The carrot is not quite so hardy as the parsnip, 

 and the seed may be sown a week or two later, or 

 indeed at any time up to the middle of June. Its 

 culture and treatment are precisely like those of 

 the parsnip ; but the roots should be gathered and 

 stored before a severe frost occurs. For home use 

 a short row of the Early Horn will answer ; for the 

 general crop, sow the Long Orange. 



Vegetable-oyster, or salsify, is another root-crop 

 which may be treated precisely like the parsnip, 



