CARROTS. 49 



smaller varieties planted late. You can sometimes grow 

 a good crop of Early Paris or Erfurt Earliest Dwarf, 

 when you can not get a single head of Large Lenormand 

 or Walcheren. 



Except for the earliest crop, it is not necessary to raise 

 the plants in a hot-bed. Sow, out of doors, on the rich- 

 est, warmest, and mellowest soil you have, in rows fifteen 

 inches apart, as directed for cabbage seed. The late varie- 

 ties should be sown just as early as the ground is in good 

 working condition. The early varieties, when intended 

 for a late crop, need not be sown before the middle of 

 May, and they will often do well if not sown until the 

 first of June. Keep the plants well hoed. If too thick, 

 prick them out into a border of rich, moist land, in rows 

 a foot apart, and at two or three inches distant in the 

 row. Let them stay there until wanted, they will make 

 fine, strong, stocky plants, and well repay you for the 

 extra labor of pricking out. 



CARROTS. 



The Carrot is not a popular crop. Horses are very 

 fond of carrots, but then they never had to weed them. 

 If they had been obliged to get on their hands and knees, 

 so to speak, with the hot sun on their backs, and had to 

 weed and thin carrots, when Tom and Dick were gone a 

 fishing, they would have been satisfied with dry corn and 

 hay. Boys ought to know better. If we want a good 

 thing, we have got to work for it. The horse, I have no 

 doubt, would go without the carrots rather than per- 

 form the necessary work of raising them. But we want 

 horses to work for our pleasure, and a good horse that 

 behaves himself, and does cheerfully all that we ask of 

 him, is entitled to an occasional feed of fresh juicy car- 

 rots to mix with his dry hay and corn. But I am sure 

 3 



