176 A HOME VEGETABLE-GARDEN 



push their way down thirty inches. The fibrous 

 roots near the surface are needed for early feed- 

 ing; but when the soil is properly and thoroughly 

 prepared clear through, there will be few fibrous 

 roots ; we may be certain of long, smooth, tapering 

 roots that well repay all the labor of preparation. 



The general surface care given the entire root 

 strip will be sufficient for the long-season roots, 

 so far as it goes. A little nitrate of soda to start 

 growth; continual surface tillage to keep down 

 the weeds and to cover the bulging root-crowns 

 and to conserve the moisture ; thinning to provide 

 plenty of room; thorough watering two or three 

 times in a dry season ; these are the requisites for 

 healthy sturdy root growth. Supplement this 

 with deepening tillage as these long roots try to 

 stretch down. Till deeply for parsnips and sal- 

 sify. There are no diseases, few enemies to prey 

 on the beauty of the foliage or spoil the roots. 

 When the hard frost has despoiled the garden's 

 beauty, the long luxuriant green rows of parsnips 

 and salsify are a sure satisfaction to the gardener. 



After the first hard frost, a few roots may be 

 dug ; as the cold increases, the flavor will improve. 

 They may be used as long as they can be dug. A 

 part of the crop may be stored in moist sand in 

 storehouse or cellar. So long as the roots do not 

 shrivel, they make very good eating. The best 

 parsnips and salsify, however, will be found in 

 the ground after the long cold winter's seasoning. 



