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LV. Description and Account of the different Varieties of the 

 Garden Carrot. By Mr. William Christie, Under 

 Gardener to the Horticultural Society. 



Read March 20th, 1821. 



During the two last seasons, seeds of all the sorts of 

 Carrots cultivated for culinary purposes were sown in the 

 garden of the Society, with the intention of ascertaining their 

 qualities and characters, and of distinguishing the different 

 kinds from each other. Having, in consequence of the in- 

 structions given me, particularly directed my attention to 

 these roots, I submit to this Meeting my observations on 

 them. 



The Garden' Carrot is supposed to have been obtained 

 originally from the Wild Carrot (Daucus carota of Linnaeus), 

 and the different sorts ha\e probably been produced by se- 

 lection from the original variety, since we are informed by 

 Miller that he in vain endeavoured to improve the wild 

 plant by cultivation in a garden, and that he could not suc- 

 ceed in ameliorating the dry and hard quality of its root. 



The seeds of the various sorts which were sown for the 

 purposes of this enquiry, were received not only from English 

 seedsmen, but were imported from France and Holland ; and 

 it will appear that some of the kinds hereinafter described, 

 which are cultivated in foreign countries, are not generally 

 known to our English gardeners. Among those which have 

 been usually grown in England, different names are fre- 



