78 FARM-GARDENING AND SEED-GROWING. 



maybe known by the seed changing to a brown color and 

 the branches commencing to dry, the heads must be cut 

 with shears, gathered into a barrel, carried to the loft, and 

 spread over the floor. When the crop has all been 

 gathered and the whole become thoroughly dry, the 

 heads can be removed to the thrashing floor, and thrashed 

 with a flail, only hard enough to separate the seed from 

 the small sticks which support them^ and avoid as much 

 as possible breaking these sticks, in order to make the 

 cleaning more easy. When thrashed, separate the coarser 

 sticks from the seed with a No. 4, and again with a No. 6 

 sieve, rubbing the larger seeds through with the hand ; 

 place the seed thinly on a large cloth, exposed to the sun, 

 and after it has lain so for five or six hours, set a barrel in 

 the center ; on this place a No. 8 sieve, through which 

 pass the seed by rubbing with the hand, throwing out the 

 sticks as they accumulate in the sieve. * Repeat this opera- 

 tion the following day, this time using "No. 10 sieve, 

 which will remove the furze or beard, when it may be 

 finally cleaned by passing twice through the fan-mill, and 

 finished by No. 24 sieve. But a very few years ago it 

 was believed that the removal of the furze injured the 

 seed, and it was carefully picked out by hand, but expe- 

 rience has proved to the contrary, and now not a pound 

 of seed is sold in any seed store in this country but that 

 which is rubbed clean, in which condition it is more easily 

 handled and can be more easily and evenly sown. 

 Carrot seed retains its vitality two years. 



VarietieSt There are but two distinct varieties much 

 grown for marketing. 



Early Horn. This is grown principally -for early 

 bunching. For main crop, in very shallow soils, it could 

 be grown to better advantage than the long varieties, 

 though it would not be so salable, except for feeding pur- 

 poses. Hoot about six inches long, quite thick, and taper- 



