SECT. XV. 



OF ESCULENTS. 



213 



when the plants are up ; which praftice being con- 

 tinued for fome time, will greatly forward, as well as 

 preferve, the crop. Some people fow in December and 

 January, if the weather is mild; but for this, fand 

 other circumitances in gardening) filiation muft, in a 

 meafure, govern, and difcretion determine : In this 

 cafe, coyer the ground with ftraw, as for radilhes ; 

 which lee. 



If a hot bed be made for carrots, let it be about two 

 feet and a half thick of dung, and covered with eight 

 inches of lifted mould, as foon as the violent heat is gone 

 off. Sow the feed direftly, a full quarter of ah inch 

 deep, and if covered with lights, give air fufficient to 

 keep the earth only juft warm. A hooped bed to be co- 

 vered with mats may do for this purpofe, but in this 

 cafe, two feet of dung may anfwer better than more ; 

 for if the feed is hurried up, they will be too tender for 

 the protection of fuch a covering, and the plants will 

 run to top, and not bottom well. 



Thin the plants foon to an inch afunder, and in a 

 little time again to three inches, in order to grow to a 

 fmall fize for ufe ; and if not fo wanted, at any r^te 

 draw fomc equally, that thofe which remain may fwell 

 properly : Carrots muft have a great fhare of air, if 

 covered with glafs. 



The principal crop of carrots mould be fown early 

 in the month of March, or before the end of it, and 

 be foon hoed, or thinned by hand, to a fmall diftance, 

 and a while after to a greater ; fo that together with 

 hoeing and drawing for ufe, they mould at laft Hand 

 at from eight to ten inches diftance, according to the 

 foil. This may feem too much, but certainly carrots 

 have, in common, too little room allowed them for 

 attaining their proper fize. Let the firft hoe be of the 

 breadth of three inches, and the fecond of fix. No 

 confideration mould prevail to let carrots fiand too 

 long before they are properly thinned. 



