LONG-ROOTED VEGETABLES 38 



of heavy subsoils the essential of tap-root culture the ground 

 should be thrown up in lumpy ridges during late autumn, 

 thoroughly breaking up the subsoil thus exposed before levelling 

 again. Nothing but good can result from labour expended in 

 tins direction ; pulverization can never be too thorough. There- 

 fore, o< rasional ridging or trenching, as far as circumstances will 

 permit, may be done all through autumn, winter, or spring 

 months. If there be a question of giving any part of the ground 

 lo !>< devoted to long-rooted vegetables the maximum of atten- 

 tion in the way of digging and manuring, let it be the subsoil. 

 and superphosphate are excellent artificial manures for 

 UK- drills at sowing-time, and weak applications of nitrate of 

 soda every few weeks after the plants are up. 



PARSNIPS (Panistaca saliva). The Parsnip is a vegetable 



requiring long, uninterrupted growth, added to which is the 



lowncss in the germinating power of its seeds. These two 



characteristics impose upon the gardener the necessity for early 



and as seed committed to the ground early in the 



year February and the beginning of March is none too safe, 



i is best to sow fairly thickly and on good friable soil. The 



n< ntioned condition presents some difficulty during the 



adverse weather which will probably be the rule, or the wet 



of the soil, but the " seed-bed compost " advocated will 



be found most useful in the realization of a good seed-bed in 



unfavourable situations. 



The ground should be watched for the first sign of germina- 

 tion, because if the appearance of the seedlings eventually 

 prove " patchy," fresh seed can be sown, thus ensuring evenness 

 in t lie rows of plants. The seeds, however, may not all germinate 

 i-at once, especially in dry weather, and a short time should be 

 iriven to allow this to take place before conclusions of total 

 are formed. Early thinning and the drastic elimination of 

 every suspicion of a weed is imperative. 



Beyond cultivating the soil with the hoe, and keeping the 

 soil free around the crowns of the plants, there is no special 

 requirement to be met concerning the development of the 

 Mi: snip until its maturity ; and when this last stage has become 

 patent, the roots may be dug for immediate use, and to be 

 stored ; or they are left in the ground as frost i mproves rather 

 (haii harms the roots to be removed as required for consump- 

 tion ; the only objection to the latter method is the loss of 

 winter preparation the ground occupied by the roots might 



4 



