Culture of the Early Horn Carrot. 27 



plants it was in search of moisture, for when I placed water in 

 the beds the injury done was less. The difficulty I had to con- 

 tend with was, the finding what food the mice would eat. I have 

 taken notice of it, for it may be of use to others that may have 

 the bad luck to get a visit from such vermin ; for it is really 

 vexing to have cucumbers destroyed in such a manner, es- 

 pecially in the month of March. 



Cosscy Hall Gardens^ Nov. 24. 1 840. 



Art. XI. On the Culture of the Early Horn Carrot. By J. Seymour, 

 Kitchen-Gardener to the Countess of Bridgewater at Ashridge. 



According to promise, I send you a few remarks on the Early 

 Horn Carrot, as to weight, size, productiveness, and clearness 

 of the roots, &c. 



By referring to my diary, I find my crop of this year was 

 sown on the 30th of March, in rows 1 ft. apart, and the alleys 

 2 ft. wide ; and that they were taken up on the 2d of Novem- 

 ber. I let these remain longer in the ground than I usually 

 do, to see the difference of the roots as respecting the attacks 

 of the wireworms. 



I have grown them upon the same piece of ground this year 

 that I have used since 1837 ; and as to flavour, appearance, &c., 

 you can decide by the roots that I have sent you. I have not 

 selected the largest roots, considering that they would be large 

 enough for the purpose intended. Amongst the roots you will find 

 one eaten by vermin, to about 3 in. of the top ; there was in one 

 bed about one square yard eaten in the same way. 1 thought it 

 had been perhaps a grass mouse or shrew ; but not being able 

 to find any holes near the spot, I am quite at a loss to know 

 what animal it can have been. In all the roots that were eaten, 

 they had been begun at the very extremity of the root, and 

 worked upwards to within two or three inches of the top. The 

 teeth-marks resemble those of a mouse. There were several 

 roots eaten some distance off close by the surface of the ground ; 

 these I considered to be the grass mouse, as there were two or 

 three caught close by. 



The piece of ground measured was 1,290 square feet, and it 

 produced 2,550 lb. of roots, or 1 ton 2 cwt. 3 qrs. 2 lbs., making 

 a produce of 38 tons 8 cwt. 11 lb. per acre. 



One root (sent) was 10 in. in length, 10 in. in circumference, 

 and weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. ; 2d root was 16 in. in length, 10 in. in 

 circumference, and weighed 1^ lb. ; 3d, 14^ in. in length, 9| in. 

 in circumference, and weighed 1 lb. 5 oz. ; 4th, 1 ft. long, 10| in. 

 in circumference, and weighed 1 lib. There was a very small 

 taproot, from 3 in. to 6 in. in length, attached to these roots ; 

 they were washed, and the tops cut quite close to the root. 



