VEGETABLE GROWING 



367 



between dwarf Potatoes or Peas, and always planted to follow after any of these or 

 other early crops have been taken up, even till the end of September, as their produce is 

 always useful. 



Cardoons. These are raised from seed sown in shallow boxes under glass, the seed- 

 lings being transplanted into rows outdoors when strong, or seed may be sown in drills 

 on rich deep soil outdoors at the end of April, the plants being, when strong enough, 

 thinned out to 12 inches apart ; the rows should be 4 feet apart to enable the plants to be 

 moulded up, as Celery is, to blanch the leaf stems. These should be gathered up together 

 before soil is placed to them, as the leafage is very large and spreading. When stems are 

 strong and well blanched, they are from 20 to 24 inches in height, but for ordinary use 

 smaller ones are best and not so coarse to eat. When stems are cleaned they should be 

 cut into lengths of 6 inches, tied into bundles, and then gently but well boiled before they 

 are served to table. 



Carrots. The earliest of all Carrots are the Early French Horn forms, such as are 

 commonly forced on hot-beds or sown very early on warm garden borders. Where there 

 are spare wood, movable frames, and plenty of manure and tree leaves to make up a 

 hot-bed, one may be built up in January in a sheltered and warm place, on to which, 

 when settled down, the wood frame may be placed. Into that should be put good soil 

 6 inches in depth, well levelled, and on which, in shallow drills 4 inches apart, seeds of 

 the Early Horn, Forcing, or Gem may be thinly sown, then covered up with fine sandy 

 soil, also thinly, well watered, and left after the light has been shut down close. A hot- 



CARROTS PROPERLY THINNED 



CARROT ROOTS. EFFECT OF 

 NOT THINNING 



This applies to almost every seedling, 

 and is the result of thick sowing and 

 insufficient thinning. 



bed made up 2 feet in depth, and very firm, of one-half stable manure and the rest ot 

 tree leaves, gives a gentle warmth for some time, and answers admirably to help the 

 seed to make growth. There will be nice Carrots usually from an inch to an inch 

 and a half long, and about the size round of a man's small finger, to pull in a few 

 weeks, and most delicious they are. Thinning the plants is not required. A similar 

 sowing may be made in February on a piece of ground the size of a frame, on a warm 

 border, without any hot-bed. Round the bed may be fixed, on edge, stout boards 

 12 inches deep, and on these be laid the glass-light of a frame of that size. Failing a 

 frame, strips of wood may be laid across, and on these a thin covering of canvas or calico, 

 until growth begins, then the covering should be given only at night. Early in April sow- 

 ings of the Early Nantes, Champion, or Model, short, blunt-rooted Carrots, from 5 to 6 

 inches long and of delicious quality, should be made in light, well-pulverised, and deep- 

 worked soil. Drills for these should be 10 inches apart, the seeds being thinly sown to 

 save labour in thinning the plants later. Formerly Carrot seeds were coated with hooks, 

 or bristles, that caused them to cling close to each other ; now the seeds are freed from 

 these hooks by cleaning, and can be sown with the greatest ease. It is a good plan to 

 dress the ground, and well point it in with a fork before drawing the drills, with a mixture 

 of wood ashes, soot, and guano, the latter in the proportion of one-tenth to the others. 



Carrots, Main Crop, are of longer form, and should not be sown until the end of 

 April or early in May. The best variety for this purpose is that known as St. Valery, 

 New Intermediate, or Matchless. This is a broad-shouldered Carrot, tapering hand- 



