Root Crops and How to Grow Them 219 



The varieties called Early 

 Scarlet Horn and French 

 Forcing are excellent for 

 early crops but yield small 

 roots. The varieties with 

 larger roots require about 

 80 days for maturity but 

 give much greater yield. 

 They should be planted for 

 the main or late crop. 

 Chantenay, Danvers Half 

 Long., and Improved Long 

 Orange are all excellent. 



The small seeds of the 

 carrot should be planted 

 about J inch deep in rows 

 about 1 2 inches apart. The 

 seeds germinate slowly, and 

 it is often 2 weeks before the 

 seedlings are well above 

 ground. Gardeners frequently scatter seeds of early 

 radishes with the seeds of the carrot. The radishes 

 mature in 20 to 30 days and are removed about the 

 time the carrots need to be thinned to stand about 

 i inch apart. Further thinning is necessary; this 

 may be done by removing the larger roots as soon 

 as they can be used for food. The young half-grown 

 or " baby " carrots are one of the garden's best deli- 

 cacies. 



The slow germination of the seeds of carrots, and also 

 of parsnips, and the small size of the seedlings make 



FIG. 128. Thinning young carrots. 



