THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES 69 



Parsnips 



When properly grown the Parsnip is by no means the 

 coarse, tough root which we so often see. They should 

 be quickly grown, and only to such a size that they can 

 be cooked whole. They like a deep, rich, friable soil. 

 Seed should be sown early in May, in drills fifteen 

 inches apart. One ounce is sufficient for a hundred feet. 

 The seedlings should be early thinned, the final distance 

 between plant and plant being from nine to twelve 

 inches. Those roots intended for winter use should be 

 left in the ground, but a little protection in the form of 

 litter or straw mats should be given them. 



Carrots 



Carrots thrive best on a light soil, which has been 

 manured for a previous crop. A small sowing should 

 be made in a sheltered spot early in March, Scarlet 

 Horn or Sutton's Gem being suitable for this purpose. 

 A second sowing of the same varieties may be made 

 in April, and a third sowing early in May. For the 

 latter the Scarlet Intermediate is an excellent variety. 

 It is a good plan to make a further small sowing in June 

 of the early Nantes variety. These roots will come in 

 early in the new year, when vegetables are scarce. An 

 ounce of carrot seed is sufficient to sow eighty feet of 

 drills. These drills should be about fifteen inches 

 apart, and about six to eight inches should be allowed 

 from plant to plant after the final thinning. Crude 

 stable manure is not good for Carrots ; at the same time 

 the soil must be rich, as the growth has to be made in 

 a short time. The soil from a cucumber frame is 

 excellent. 



