CARROT. 53 



the earth coming in contact with the ribs of the 

 leaves. If the cardoons are to be used early and 

 before the frosts set in, the plants may remain thus 

 banded without any earthing up, or with very little, 

 and they will become sufficiently blanched for use ; 

 but if there is any danger of their being exposed 

 to frost, then it is necessary that they should be 

 earthed up in the same manner as celery, care being 

 taken that this is done on a dry day, and the earth 

 not raised higher than the haybands. 



When the plants are blanched a foot and a half 

 or two feet in length, or more, they may be taken 

 up, as wanted, throughout the winter. In severe 

 frosty weather some dry fern or litter may be spread 

 over the plants as a protection ; which will also 

 render them more easy to be got at. 



12. CARROT. DAUCUS. 



The word daucus signifies a sort of wild carrot, 

 and its other botanical name, carota, means a root 

 having a fleshy substance under a rind. 



The carrot is a native of England, being found 

 wild in many parts of the kingdom. The author 

 has seen large quantities of it growing in some 

 fields in Devonshire particularly. 



Miller tells us that he could not succeed in ob- 

 taining good carrots from the seed of the wild sort, 

 though it is alleged by others that, if sown in well 

 manured ground, good roots can be produced the 

 third year ; and, perhaps, it is from the improved 

 cultivation of the wild sort that our present fine 

 carrots are derived. 



E 3 



