3IARCH 2, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



177 



YOUNG CARROTS ALL THE 



YEAR ROUND. 



Youn^ carrots provide such a favourite 



be required blanched 



but in frosty weather give protection witli 

 boughs and litter^ so that the young roots 

 can be daily drawn easily. We are now at 



and choice dish throughout the year that the middle of Februar}^, drawing excellent 



every endeavour should be made to obtain roots from u border facing west, treated as 



nice crisp roots the whole season through, mentioned above, and the crop will last 



Carrots, perhaps, are utilised in more ways well into March. Very little thinning is re- 



tlian most vegetables, hence their special 

 value. 



Commencing early in the year slight hot- 

 mature the 



ired 



beds 



are required to 



and this is easily 



crop 

 accomplished 



quickly, 



where long stable litter is at hand, and a 

 plentiful supply of any deciduous leaves, 

 using two parts of the latter to one of the 

 former in preparing the hotbed. The pre- 

 dominance of leaves will give a steadier 



Thoroughly mix 

 When form- 



and more lasting heat, 

 the whole by turning thrice, 

 ing the bed build to a height of four feet, 

 with a margin of two feet bevond the 



beyond 

 occasional 



a margin of two feet 

 frames ; over this margin an 

 lining of similar material will be required 

 to maintain a steady heat. When com- 

 pleted place the frame squarely and firmly 

 in position. 



Have in readiness some light prepared 

 soil, consisting of three parts finely-sifted 

 garden soil or loam, one part road scrap- 

 ings, and one part burnt garden refuse, 

 old potting soil when available could be 

 used in the place of the garden soil; place 

 not less than six inches in the frame. Left 

 thus for a few days to warm through, it 

 will be ready for the seeds. Proceed by 

 making the soil firm, as Shorthorn carrots 

 will be found to form more quickly thus 

 tieated, and make less top growth. Sow 

 in shallow drills, seven inches apart, just 

 covering the seeds with fine soil, and when 

 finished lightly damp the seed-bed over 

 with tepid water, and close the frame until 

 germination takes place; then admit air 

 and syringe on all favourable occasions. 

 The lights should be protected with mats 

 or suitable material through all frosty and 

 cold^ windy weather. Later, when favour- 

 able spring weather arrives, the lights can 

 be left off entirely. 



Those not favoured with fermenting ma- 

 terial need not hesitate to 



place 



sow at once, 

 providing a cold frame is available ; 

 the frame in a sunny position, well shel- 

 tered from cold winds, and place therein 

 the best soil available; sow the seeds as 

 afh'ised, and husband all the sun heat pos- 

 sible, well covering the lights, and frame 

 sides early in the evening to retain the 

 warmth throughout the night. Vegetables 

 wdl be scarce a few w^eeks hence, therefore 

 ' ^^■t v (Muleavour should be made to fill up 

 ajiy l)reak that must occur. 

 . For succession to the above crops soav- 

 ings will have to be made outside, the first 

 <>n a soutb border during March, working 

 tno ground into a fine tilth, after giving 

 a good dressing of burnt earth, particu- 

 ''^I'Lv if the ground is heavv. It is a good 

 practice to have a quantity of finely-sifted 

 potting soil at hand to cover the seeds 

 ^^ith previous to rakino; the bed over as 

 tins promotes 



^lake later sowmgs every five weeks, ac- 

 cording to requirements. The last sowing 

 snouid be made early in September, this 

 ^^'-^^ on a south or western border 



very quick root action 



all 

 1 



and if 



goes well, this will supply' excel- 

 *^nt young carrots until March, w'hen hot- 

 ted carrots will be again available. 



soi^^- "^"^["P ^^^"^^^^^ ^^i^v those 



\1 ^^"g"*^* ''^^^ September, must have 

 ^ ground specially prepared. Choose a 



nlenll f "sed for carrots, and add 



nuch\] ™^gar<l^n refuse (if hot, so 

 a finV/T.T^^ ^^^^ B^i"^ it to 



ontSlo i'V'^*""^ "^Pl^'i^s f^'' ^11 sowings 

 "tsKle. A free ^ of the hoe and light 



cially thick, the daily drawing sufficing for 



pose 



ed 



ply the hoe freely, and give occas'onal dust- 



ings of soot. 



crowns, or as to the freshly- 

 gathered produce being superior to those 

 which are imported. It should certainly be 

 more largely grown in private gardens, 

 for it is invaluable as a salading dur- 

 ing the winter months, and useful for 

 serving as a vegetable. 



One of the broad^leaved types ^'hould be 

 selecte<:l , aind the best is unquestion ably 

 that known as the witloof, and found in 

 tJie catalogues of tlie -leading seed firms. 

 For the pi-oduction of the crop select a 

 ])os.ition ill an o'j>en quarter that has been 



AVell-tried varieties are Inimitable for deeply dug, and otherwise prepared as (foi 



very early use; Parisian Forcing, French 

 Horn, and Early Gem. For sowing in the 

 open quarters in March for maincrop sup- 

 plies, the intermediate type known as Scar- 

 let Perfection can be strongly recom- 

 mended . G EO E LLWOOD . 



CHICORY FOR 



WINTER SALADS. 



In referring to the great value of the 

 finer types of chicory for wintei' salads, it 

 can hardly fail to ^be of interest to mention 

 that, 'ailthough the typical plant is a native 

 of this country, the development of the cul- 

 tivated forms has been effected on the Con- 

 tinent. In Belgium afnd in France the cul- 

 tivation of chioory under the designation 

 of Witloof and Barbe de Capuchin has as- 

 sumed enormous proportions, more particu- 

 larly in the foi-mer country, whence large 

 quantities are exported to this country and 



the ordinary root crops— carrots, for exam- 

 ple. Make two or three sowings during the 

 montJis of April and May, the first about 

 the middle of the fimt of the two months, 

 and the others at intervals of about a fort- 

 night. For gardens that are small^ or of 

 moderate size, two sowings will suffice. 

 Sow in drills twelve inches apart, and Avlu^n 

 .the seedlings a»re large enough to admit of 

 their being readily handletl, <'oinmon<-e the 

 th inning, and proceed in '.such manner that 

 when this necessary operation is completed 

 the plants remaining are aibout ten iiK-hes 

 apart. No other attention will b(^ noi os- 

 ^ary until the autumn ex<'C])tiiiii: an occa- 

 ^sional hoeing for the pm posr nf keeping 



down the weeds and iiiaiiitainiiig a loose 

 surfaee. 



The roots will have completed tbeir 

 growtli by October, aind may tlion bo lifter] 

 for forcing and place<l where tbey will be 

 in darkness and assiusted with just suffi- 

 cient warmth to start them into growth. 



r -X -V- 



An exceptionally fine 



CARROT SCARLET PERFECTION 



intermediate type selected by Messrs. 

 Cathedral Street, Manchester. 



Dickson and Robinson, 



other parts of the world. As proved bv 

 the produce exhibitwl at the lloyal Horti- 

 cultural HaUl within n^^ent years, chicory 

 can be equally as well grown in England 

 as in Belgium, but whether its commer- 

 cia] culture would l)e equally pix^fitable in 

 the two countries is yet to bo demon- 

 ted. Whether the production in Eng- 



A mushroom liouse or warm cellar will be 

 well adapted to their requirements, and it 

 will be found convenient to place a couple 

 of dozen or so of roots in a box about ten 

 inches in depth with fine and ratlier moist 

 soi! p'K-ked about them. Previous to put- 

 ting them in the ibox cut the leaves off 

 alxHit an imh above the crowns, and in 

 filMnt^ the box the latter should be half an 



land of supplies for market would ^be profit- hl'mg the box the latter s u>um oe nau an 

 able or otherwise, there can be no question inch or so alx)ve the vwtace of the soil, 

 as to there being a large demamd for the 



