THE CANADIAN IIOKTICULTUlClST. 1")! 



The Carrot, (an anglicised form of the specific scientific name, 

 Carota, wliich has its orij,'in in the Celtic word car, meaning red, from 

 llie color of the root,) was described as being cultivated for its esculent 

 root by Dioscorides, who is supposed to have lived in the time of the 

 lioraan Emperor Nero, and since his time it has been in constant use 

 by various nations. But it was not until the reign of Queen Elizabeth 

 that it was generally cultivated in England, when it was introduced 

 by the Flemings into Kent, whence it has gradually spread over the 

 whole kingdom, and is now very common and generally distributed, 

 springing up on dry banks, ridges of fields and in pastures. 



Carrots contain a large amount of water, but their most important^ 

 dietic substance is sugar. They have also small quantities of starch 

 and albumen. In some parts of Europe a spirit is distilled from the 

 roots, the sugar they contain being easily convertible into alcohol. 

 Alx)ut 160 pounds of crushed roots yield one gallon of spirit. In 

 Germany a substitute for coffee is made by chopping the roots into 

 small pieces and roasting them. Horses are very fond of Carrots, and 

 when mixed with oats they form A^ery good food for them. 



Pretty objects for winter decoration may be made by cutting off 

 the crown of a Carrot and placing it in a saucer of water with moss 

 round it. The green feathery leaves soon sprout out, and the whole 

 has the appearance of a lovely and delicate fern. 



HORTICULTURAL GOSSIP. XL 



BY L. WOOLA'ERTON, GRIMSBY. 



Peaches in 1880. — This season peach growers have had their 

 hands full — of peaches, — not of money. The crop has been unprece- 

 dented in the history of Canadian peach culture, notwithstanding that 

 a good crop preceded it in 1879. The heavy crop is not by any means 

 I misfortune, though everybody says it is. Peaches are being intro- 

 luced to country towns, where they were before unknown. Facilities 

 are being gained by shippers that would not have been thought of in 

 ;i season of light crops. The Express Company, slow to move in the 

 matter of accommodation to shippers, has been shown its want of 

 j^roper accomodation. Several times this season they were unable to 

 receive one half the peaches waiting shipment. They encourage the 

 expectation of shelved cars to central points in future. 



