172 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



The flowers are small and generally arranged in compound um- 

 bels; no calyx, but in place often have five minute teech, five 



.petals, five stamens and 

 two pistils. The dry fruit 

 usually splits into two 

 parts and the seed of most 

 species has oil tubes. The 

 leaves are alternate and 

 more commonly compound 

 or decompound. Besides 

 the parsnips, parsley, car- 

 rot, celery, whose cultural 

 directions are here given, 

 dill, anise, caraway, cori- 

 ander and fennel will be 

 found under the head of 

 garden herbs. 



PARSNIPS. 



(Pastinaca sativa.) 



Native of Europe. — Bien- 

 nial. — Cultivated for its 

 long, tender root. Seeds 

 light brown in color, flat 

 and marked with five rais- 

 ed lines or ridges. Seed 

 stalks three to five feet 

 high with large umbels of greenish flowers. 



Culture. — The parsnip is grown in the same manner as the 

 carrot, but is rather more particular about the soil on which it 

 grows. Then, too, in manuring the land for this crop, it is 

 important to use only manure which is well rotted, as the ap- 

 plication of fresh manure seems to encourage the formation of 

 side roots. Also on harrl land, there is often a tendency for the 

 roots to form side roots, and, as what i* desired is a rather 

 thick tap root, side roots are to be avoided. It is important *^ 



Figure 84. — Parsnip plant in flower. 



