ROOT 
101 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 little 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 injure them. In that case you must 
store a large part 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, 
