192 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



ends of the pile. By this means 

 the roots can be easily and often 

 examined, and those that are decayed 

 removed. On the first symptoms of 

 vegetation appearing, pull down the 

 pile and build it again, and this 

 method will enable the Carrots to 

 be kept in a good state as late as 

 possible. Anothermethod. — In open 

 ground, in a dry place, remove the 

 soil to the depth of i ft., trench the 

 bottom, adding some sand if pos- 

 sible ; plant the roots vertically close 

 to each other, and protect from frost 

 and from wet. The objection to 

 this plan is, that decay cannot be 

 attentively watched, and vegetation 

 is much more liable to be excited, 

 to prevent which the roots must be 

 lifted and again buried. Heaps 

 should be avoided in the case of 

 garden varieties. 



Diseases and Insects. — The 

 Carrot is a prey to many enemies. 

 Perhaps the worst to be feared is 

 the rust, and this occurs generally 

 from the roots being grown in wet 

 soil, or having suffered from dryness 

 in summer. Too much fresh manure 

 will also provoke it. There is no 

 effective remedy for it, but salt and 

 quicklime applied to the ground 

 before sowing is an excellent pre- 

 ventive as well as a fertiliser. At 

 spring-time, in hot-beds or borders, 

 the young plants of the first sowings 

 are sometimes entirely destroyed by 

 a small spider. Gardeners watching 

 young Carrots are surprised the next 

 day to see that every plant has 

 disappeared. Soot spread over the 

 drills, or the entire bed, will effec- 

 tually prevent such a disaster. Snails 

 and slugs are very fond of young 

 Carrots, one snail or slug being able 



to destroy a small bed in a single 

 night. Quicklime spread over the 

 young plants (which it does not 

 injure), and around the beds, will 

 secure the crops, for one ap- 

 plication effectually destroys these 

 marauders. — D. G. 



The Carrot-louse attacks the 

 young plants almost as soon as they 

 appear, often doing much damage, 

 like the Turnip-fly, if growth be re- 

 tarded at the beginning. Then the 

 Carrot-grub is even more destructive, 

 boring into the roots, and often ruin- 

 ing a crop. Wireworm, millepeds, 

 and several other enemies sometimes 

 do much mischief 



Early Carrots are largely supplied 

 for the London market from France : 

 they are tender and delicious, and 

 often far better than those obtained 

 from the London market-gardens. 

 Seed of early varieties is sown from 

 February to March, after which the 

 main crop is put in, and the plants 

 are not thinned out quite so much 

 as other root-crops. The Early Horn 

 is the kind used for early sowings ; 

 and, when in good condition, they 

 sell well in the market. In our 

 market-gardens the Long Surrey 

 and Long Orange are the chief kinds 

 grown for main crops, and roots of 

 these are furnished by hundreds of 

 tons all through the winter months. 

 Some market growers force the Early 

 Horn on hot-beds and in frames, in 

 order to have them ready for use 

 in March or April, and these realise 

 good returns. Some also sow beds 

 in a warm position in August and 

 September for winter use. If the 

 weather is mild, fine little roots are 

 obtained, and they sell readily at 

 good prices. 



Uses. — The roots are well known and largely used, both as a 

 table vegetable and as forming excellent food for cattle. The seed 

 is employed in the manufacture of some kinds of liqueurs, and the 

 juice of the Red varieties is used for colouring butter. 



