412 
The newly grown carrot 
change the position of the carrot every day, first turning it 
one side to the light and then the other, so that an even 
development is encouraged on every part of the stump. In 
about a fortnight the portion of the carrot will have been 
converted into an object of great beauty. From the crowns 
in each case long shoots of the well-known fern-like foliage 
will extend upwards, and any person who was not in the 
secret would be puzzled to say just how these really attrac- 
tive growths had been formed. If careful attention is 
given to the matter of watering, there is no reason why the 
sprouting carrots should not last for quite a long while, and 
when once the leaves are well developed the stumps may 
be removed from the windows, and suspended in any part 
of the room where they will look most decorative. An 
occasional sprinkling of water on the foliage will be found 
to keep things in a nice fresh condition. 
Do not, however, make the very common mistake, of too 
plentifully supplying your house with growing carrots. 
Interesting and beautiful as these roots are when grown in 
the way I have described, it would be a serious mistake to 
start too many of them and have them, let us suppose, 
depending from every window. ‘They are easy to arrange, 
easy to start, and no trouble at all to take care of, and the 
temptation to have many of them may often be too great 
to be resisted. But let me advice that this desire be heartily 
suppressed. Suspended carrots may well have their place in 
the winter decoration of the house, and they may be keenly 
appreciated and hugely enjoyed, for they are undoubtedly 
beautiful; but a few carrots will go a long way in most 
AMERICAN HOMES AND 
GARDENS 
October, 1909 
Scooping out the carrot 
households, and a few will be found more satisfactory in 
the end than many because of their novelty. A carrot at 
every window immediately loses its interest quality of novelty 
and much of its beauty will be lost through its very mul- 
tiplicity. 
People often make a serious mistake in choosing too many 
plants of one kind, or of related kinds, for house decoration. 
‘The space at one’s disposal is apt to be, on the whole, very 
limited. It is better by far to have a choice variety than 
to have a number of plants of one kind. ‘There is an 
immense interest in a well-developed window garden, but 
its interest is heightened by the variety of its contents. There 
is a very considerable variety of plants to select for such 
growing, and the interest of the little indoor flower-space 
will be greatly heightened by putting in as many different 
kinds as possible, giving them all the attention they deserve. 
and watching their varied growths and habits. The variety 
of bloom helps, also, and is an important feature in the 
pleasure to be derived from these charming household pets 
-—for pets they are, even if inanimate and silent. 
The carrot as a household decoration is almost unknown. 
Few have thought of it for this purpose, and I am per- 
suaded that few know of the manner of growth I have 
described and illustrated in this brief article. ’Tis, indeed, 
but a comparatively unimportant thing, a cheap plant, 
plucked, as it were, from the family market-basket. But 
it is still a thing of beauty, a decoration to be prized and 
enjoyed, and so I most heartily commend it to the plant- 
lover. 
