208 Early scarlet Horn Carrot. 



I have grown the Orange, Surrey long, Altringham, &c. ; and 

 have found the Earlj^ scarlet Horn the best for our family, as it 

 is very productive and good in quality, and does not require the 

 depth of soil, or the distance between the plants, which the larger 

 sorts do. I have found this sort to keep quite as well as the 

 other kinds. I likewise sow a few rows of the Altringham and 

 the New white Altringham for a change. I find the Altring- 

 ham the best of the large sorts. The Early scarlet Horn can 

 be sown as late as June, if young carrots are in request during 

 summer. I have found, by sowing the same piece of ground 

 several years together with carrots, that the roots become much 

 more free from the attacks of the wire-worm (E'later lineatus 

 Linn.) and other insects. When I came here, in the autumn of 

 1836, I found the carrots so much eaten and cankered that there 

 was scarcely a free bit to be got out of a root, and they were 

 likewise very bad-tasted. When the carrots are taken up, and 

 all the refuse cleared away, I then give the piece of ground 

 a good sprinkling all over with quicklime, and let it remain two 

 or three days ; then I give it another sprinkling as before, and 

 dig it in to destroy the worms, slugs, &c., which are lower down ; 

 the drier the weather is, the better for the Ifme taking effect. 

 Using lime, and digging the ground over several times previously 

 to sowing in the following spring, are attended with a very bene- 

 ficial result. In 1837 I sowed the same piece of ground with' 

 carrot, and in the autumn they were much better than in 1836. 

 In 1838 and 1839 the carrots were entirely free from speck, and 

 likewise well- tasted. 



Taking up and storing the Roots. — When I think of taking 

 my carrots up, I choose a dry time for that purpose, and have 

 the tops mown off to 6 in. high, the day previous to digging 

 them, and cleared away ; I then take a three-pronged fork, and 

 commence digging. I lay the roots in a sort of line, as they are 

 dug up, to dry. I have likewise men to follow the diggers for 

 the purpose of cutting the tops off, which is done quite close 

 to the root. This is very easy to accomplish with the Al- 

 tringham, Orange, &c., but requires a little more care with the 

 Early scarlet Horn, as it is hollow-crowned, and will perhaps 

 want cutting over once or twice from the time of taking up to 

 the June following. I always make three sortings in my car- 

 rots: the first contains all the finest, which I keep for dinner par- 

 ties, and for sending to London in the spring, when the family 

 is there; the second sorting is for the use of the parlour; and 

 the last sorting is for general purposes. When I begin to pack 

 them, I do not pack them close to the wall, as is generally the 

 case, but leave a vacuity of 8 in. on the wall side, for the cold 

 air to pass round them, which, I find, prevents the roots from 

 gi'owing and rotting'. I store them upon the north side of a 



