CARROT. 



69 



crowns. They will yield ripe seed in autumn, of which 

 gather only from the principal umbel, which is likely not 

 only to afford the ripest and largest seed, but the most vigo- 

 rous plants. 



Field culture, — ^' The only sort of carrot adapted to field 

 culture," says Loudon, " is the long red, or field carrot 

 New seed is most essential, as it will not vegetate the sec- 

 ond year. The best soil for the carrot is a deep, rich, 

 sandy loam ; such a soil ought to be at least a foot deep, 

 and all equally good from top to bottom. On any other 

 the field culture of the carrot will not answer. 



" The usual preparation of the seed for sowing is the 

 mixing it with earth or sand, to cause it to separate more 

 freely ; but Burro v/s adds water, turns over the mixture 

 of seeds and moist earth several times, and thus brings it 

 to the point of vegetating before he sows it. Having 

 weighed the quantity of seed to be sown, and collected 

 sand or fine mould, in the proportion of about two bushels 

 to an acre, I mix the seed with the sand or mould, eight or 

 ten pounds to every two bushels, and this is done about a 

 fortnight or three weeks before the time I intend sowing ; 

 taking care to have the heaps turned over every day, sprin- 

 kling the outside of them with water each time of turning 

 over, that every part of the sand heaps may be equally moist, 

 and that vegetation may take place alike throughout. I 

 have great advantage in preparing the seed so long before 

 hand ; it is by this means in a state of forward vegetation, 

 therefore lies but a short time in the ground, and, by quickly 

 appearing above ground, is more able to contend with those 

 numerous tribes of weeds in the soil, whose seeds are of 

 quicker vegetation." 



The quantity of seed, when carrots are sown in rows, is 

 two pounds per acre; and, for broad-cast sowing, five 

 pounds. The rows for the larger or proper field carrots, 

 should be from 14 to 16 or 18 inches apart ; and the carrots 

 thinned, in hoeing, to 3 or 4 inches apart in the rows. The 

 seeds will do best when sown by hand, as their shape does 

 not well admit of their being sown by machines. Loudon 

 says, " It has been advised, by an intelligent cultivator, to 

 deposit the seed to the depth of one inch in the rows, leav- 

 ing the spaces of fourteen inches between them as intervals ; 

 iha seed, in these cases, being previously steeped in rain 



