LEADING VEGETABLE CROPS 



137 



SO that cultivation may begin early. It is especially 

 important that weeds do not gain a foothold while 

 the plants are still small. After the young plants 

 have become reasonably well established they 

 should be thinned to a distance of from four to six 

 inches. Frequent shallow cultivation should be 

 continued as long as it is possible to pass between 

 the rows. 



Carrots require an abundance of available plant 

 food and, like all root crops, liberal quantities of 

 potash. Fresh stable manures should never 

 be used, as it generally results in a growth of top 



SOME GOOD HAND WEEDERS 



at the expense of the root. Well-rotted manures may 

 be used to good advantage, together with applica- 

 tions of from 300 to 600 pounds of commercial fer- 

 tilizer analyzing approximately 4-6-8 or 4-8-10. 



Carrots are extensively sold partially mature, tied 

 in bunches, as already described for the beet. They 

 are also dug in the fall of the year, stored like pota- 

 toes and sold throughout the entire winter months. 

 In one or the other of these forms carrots are now 

 to be found upon the market the entire year round. 



In harvesting carrots for bunching purposes they 

 must usually be pulled by hand. In harvesting for 

 winter storage the sugar beet puller or the plow 



