ROOT 
2 CROPS 
culture, say that “where earliness is of primary 
importance, nitrate of soda can be used with 
profit with this crop even on the richest of 
soils.”’ 
If you can’t get your root crops early, get 
them late. When the mercury goes away 
down, the prices go away up. 
CARROTS. 
Besides being a hardy crop that may be plant- 
ed in the early spring as soon as the ground 
can be worked, carrots have the advantage of 
having no serious insects or diseases. They 
require a clean, mellow soil, that will not “ bake”’ 
over the seeds, and the best of surface tillage. 
Carrot seeds are so small and so slow in sprout- 
ing, that it is good practice to plant radishes or 
turnips or other quick seeds in the same row, 
to help break the crust for the tender seedlings. 
The young carrots have such a slight hold 
upon the soil, that they need petting, only the 
shallowest, surface tillage being possible, yet 
scarcely any of the garden crops need tillage 
more. But once let the carrots get established 
in the soil, and they are easy to grow and give 
good returns. They are sown thickly about 
one inch deep in rows from 12 to 18 inches 
apart. When they are well up, they should be 
7 
