Root Crops and How to Grow Them 223 
some sorts, all those mentioned above should find a place 
in the home vegetable garden. All, excepting horse- 
radish and sweet potatoes, are grown from seed sown 
directly in the garden soil; hence it is easy to get the 
crops started. 
Gardeners planning to grow the sweet potato are 
advised to send for Farm Bulletin 395 of the United 
States Department of Agriculture; also to ask for 
literature on propagation, culture, diseases, and varieties 
from their own state agricultural experiment station. 
Questions 
Name the principal root. crops grown in vegetable gardens. 
Why are root crops especially important vegetables? What is 
meant when it is said that root crops are “light feeders”? In 
what soils do root crops thrive best? In what soils are root 
crops most likely to fail? Why should root crops be thinned ? 
What is the general rule to be used in thinning them? 
What special conditions do radishes need to yield well? What 
conditions are necessary to grow summer radishes successfully? 
When are winter radishes planted? Can turnips be grown as a 
summer crop in localities having hot-weather conditions? How 
are they grown as an autumn crop? When is thinning of beets 
often done? What is the best method of doing this? Describe 
a way to cultivate young carrots and parsnips without disturbing 
them. When should parsnip seed be planted in the Northern 
states? Describe the method of propagating the sweet potato. 
Things to Do and Observe 
1. To learn which root crops are suited to your locality and the 
varieties of each that should be grown. Visit as many gardens or 
farms in your neighborhood as you can and note the kinds of 
root crops grown. Inquire as to the varieties grown for home 
use and for market. 
