101 ^OOT 



"^ CROPS 



They require cool, very deep soil in excellent 

 tilth to make good roots a foot long, straight, 

 clean and tapering. A lumpy or shallow soil 

 makes the roots branchy, and of Kttle market 

 value. Parsnips are usually sown in drills, 

 far enough apart to let the wheel-hoe in; sow 

 thickly and then thin out the rows, leaving plants 

 about six to eight inches apart. We have to 

 sow thickly because some seeds may be bad, for 

 parsnip seed does not retain its life for more 

 than two seasons. An ounce of fresh seed will 

 do for 200 to 250 feet of drill, or about four 

 pounds to six pounds to the acre. 



The seeds sprout so slowly that it is well to 

 plant some quick growing seed with them to 

 break the soil, else it may have to be broken 

 by hand. The parsnip is hardy and the seeds 

 may be sown as soon as the ground can be put 

 in condition, but it must be the main crop, for 

 it takes the whole season to grow the long 

 roots. The roots may be left in the ground 

 until the next spring, as the hard winter freezes 

 do not injiu-e them. In that case you must 

 store a large pa;rt of the crop in cool pits or 

 cellars, because the best price is obtained in the 

 late winter or very early spring when the ground 

 is often frozen so hard that you can't pull the 

 roots up. It would not pay to blast them out, 



