70 
The Mechanical Condition of the Soil. 
been done, it sliould be kept moist until it be placed in tlie 
soil, and then be lightly covered by fine soil to the depth of 
from half to three-quarters of an inch. It is usual to run a light 
roller over the surface after the seed is sown, unless the soil is 
too moist to allow it to be done. The best mode of sowing the 
seed is by means of the hand-dibble, especially in the case of 
strong land, upon which it often enables an early sowing to be 
secured, when waiting for the drill would have made it late. 
Carrots and Parsnips.— A deeply-cultivated soil is necessary 
for each of these roots, l)ut they differ in the soils for which they 
are best adapted. The carrot flourishes best in a very loose and 
friable soil : the parsnip prefers stronger land, and can be suc- 
cessfully grown on soils which are too stiff for carrots. The best 
mode of cultivating them is after another root-crop, as they require 
the land to be kept very free from weeds during their growth. 
Wlien they follow a corn-crop particular care must be taken to 
have the land well cleaned in the autumn, and ploughed (if pos- 
sible subsoiled also) before the winter. Thus the labour in the 
spring will be brought within moderate limits for securing that 
condition of soil which these crops require, viz., a deep and thc;- 
roughly-cultivated soil, with a fine surface ; when this has been 
obtained we may consider that we have completed the necessary 
preparation. 
Carrots should be sown early in April, and the parsnips 
early in March ; for producing heavy crops the seeds must be 
sown in good time. The progress of the parsnip and carrot 
may be much favoured by mixing the seed with some damp sand 
a feyv days before it is to be sown, and laying it out shallow in 
a warm room. When this is not done, the carrot-seeds need 
other preparation, because they cling together so much ; a good 
rubbing between the hands, followed by the admixture of as 
much as three bushels of ashes to the acre, is probably the best 
means for favouring its distribution on the land. When this 
precaution is taken, the seed can be very easily drilled, and this 
is by far the more frequent mode of sowing both these crops ; but 
many prefer sowing both carrots and parsnips by hand, especially 
after germination has been encouraged. It is a very good plan to 
mix some corn with the seed, so as to indicate its position for the 
early guidance of the horse-hoe. 
The seed is usually sown in drills, from 12 to 18 inches apart; 
and about G lbs. of seed per acre gives a sufficiently thick plant. 
It should not he buried more than three-quarters of an inch from the 
surface. When the sowing is completed, the land should be lightly 
harrowed, if corn has been mixed with the seed, but otherwise it 
will be better to roll the ground, so as not to destroy the drill-marks ; 
but, if the land be at all adhesive, a light harrowing is preferable 
