CARROTS 



417 



in grain and is somewhat higher than that in silage. It is 

 palatable and nutritious, and an unusually high proportion 

 of it is digestible. Mangels are most commonly fed to 

 dairy cattle, though they may be fed to sheep and hogs if 

 desired. As from 10 to 15 tons may readily be produced to 

 the acre, the farmers in the Northern states can well afford 

 to raise more mangels and 

 other root crops. 



CARROTS 



541. Description. The 



carrot, Daucus carota, has 

 finely-divided leaves, flowers 

 and seeds in a dense umbel, 

 and roots of various shapes 

 and colors. Most varieties 

 taper from the crown to the 

 tap-root, though some are 

 cylindrical for most of their 

 length, while others are 

 short and thick. The color 

 of the flesh and skin may be 

 white, yellow, orange, or red. 

 Carrots are grown in only 

 a limited way for stock 

 feeding, mostly for horses. 

 Their feeding value is about the same as that of mangels. 



542. Culture. Carrots grow best in a deep sandy loam. 

 The seed bed should be well prepared and free from weeds, 

 as germination and early growth are slow. The rows should 

 be from 24 to 30 inches apart and the plants about 3 inches 

 apart in the rows. From 4 to 6 pounds of seed are required 

 to sow an acre. The methods of planting, thinning, cultiva- 



16 



Fig. 130. Carrots for stock feeding. 



