176 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



Figure 1. 



Common Long-rooted 



Parsnip. 



THE PAKSNIP CEOP. 



The carrot crop has justly become quite popu- 

 lar as a feed for stock. It is cultivated all over 

 New England for this purpose, but in the greatest 

 quantities in the neighborhood of large towns, or 

 cities, where a good many 

 horses are kept. Stable- 

 keepers are confident that 

 they are an economical food, 

 and purchase them by the 

 ton, at prices varying from 

 eight to twelve dollars. 

 This practice has attracted 

 the attention of many far- 

 mers, and they, also, now 

 feed their one, two, or more 

 horses, daily, with a mess of 

 carrots. 



Tlie Parsnip, — though 

 pronounced by most persons 

 as far more palatable than 

 the carrot, — has not yet 

 found its way to the feeding- 

 troughs of the stable-keep- 

 ers or of our neat stock. It 

 strikes us as singular that a 

 vegetable so nutritious and delicious to the hu- 

 man palate, and at the same time so highly rel- 

 ished by our domestic animals, should not have 

 long ago come into popular favor. It certainly is 

 not because the carrot 

 can be more easily 

 cultivated than the 

 parsnip, — that it pos- 

 sesses higher nutri- 

 tive properties, or 

 that it is more eager- 

 ly sought for by our 

 stock. In all these 

 particulars the pars- 

 nip has the prece- 

 dence with one single 

 exception — the seed 

 does not germinate so 

 readily and certainly 

 as that of the carrot. 

 In other respects it 

 has advantages over 

 the carrot. It will 

 grow on a wider range 

 of soil, stand di'ought 

 longer, and the young 

 plants are so conspic- 

 uous as to render the 

 first thinning and 

 weeding altogether 

 easier than that of the figure 2 



carrot. Fingers and Toes. 



Compared with the turnip, the parsnip contains 

 about double the quantity of heat-giving and fat- 

 forming compounds, such as oil and starch. This 

 renders it particularly suitable as a food for fat- 

 tening purposes, or for milk-producing animals. 



The keeping qualities of the parsnip are equal 

 to those of any other root we produce. If stored 

 properly in a cool, moist (not wet) cellar, they will 

 remain plump and brittle for seven or eight 

 months. 



In Wilson's Fai-m Crops it is said that the pars- 

 nip, compared with the carrot, "presents a supe- 

 riority in many respects as a crop for feeding pur- 

 poses. It contains on an average about 5 or 6 

 per cent, less water than the carrot, wliich materi- 

 ally improves its keep- 

 ing qualities, the dif- 

 ference being made 

 up by an additional 

 proportion of solid 

 extractive matter, by 

 which its general feed- 

 ing qualities are pro- 

 portionably increased. 

 The flesh - forming 

 compounds, too, are 

 nearly double those 

 contained in the car- 

 rot ; while the oil, 

 starch, &'c., in its com- 

 position, would indi- 

 cate that for fattening 

 as well as for feed- 

 ing purposes it is of greatly superior value 



Figure 3. 

 Ilollow-Crowned Parsnip. 



SOIL AND CULTIVATION FOR THE PARSNIP. 



Any rich, deep, well-drained soil, whether it be 

 of granite formation, or sandy or clayey loam, will 

 produce good crops of parsnips. A decidedly 

 gravelly soil would not be favorable. The soil 

 should be deep, because the plant loves to pene- 

 trate the ground with its long, tapering root, and 

 throw out hair-like feeders into the surrounding 

 soil. When it has this opportunity, and the soil 

 is sufficiently enriched, the parsnip will send clown 

 one main root, such as is illustrated in Cut No. 

 1 ; but without these advantages, it will be quite 

 likely to assume the form of Cut No. 2, dividing 

 itself off into numerous branches, spoiling it for 

 the table, and depreciating its value even for stock. 

 This is called running into "Fingers and Toes." 



Cut No. 3 is The Ilollow-croivned Parsnip. It 

 is less symmetrical in shape, and has a much great- 

 er diameter at the crown, or top, which is slightly 

 concave. The root is of a yellowish-white color, 

 tapering from the top, and not so long as the 

 Long-rooted variety. No. 1. 



Cut No. 4 illustrates, 1, The common flat 

 body moth that infests the parsnip. 



