CHAPTER YII 



ROOT CROPS 



Beet Parsnip 



Eadisli Celeriac 



Turnip Chervil 



Rutabaga Salsify 



Horse-radish Scorzonera 



Carrot Scolymus 



Root crops require a cool season and deep soil. They are 

 grown in drills, and usually are not transplanted. They 

 are used both as main-season and secondary crops. All are 

 hardy. No particular ingenuity or skill is required in 

 growing them. 



The necessity of deep soil is apparent when one consid- 

 ers that the value of a root depends to a large extent on its 

 straightness or symmetry. In hard and shallow lands roots 

 are short and they tend to be branched and irregular. 

 Fine tilth does much to insure quick growth, and quick 

 growth improves the quality. Tile-draining and subsoil- 

 ing greatly improve land to be used for root crops. The 

 use of clover as a green-manure is also desirable, as it 

 loosens and ameliorates the soil to a greater depth than 

 most other green-manure crops. 



Most root crops succeed best in cool soil. They thrive 

 in the North, or in the cool season in the South. Those 



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