CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
293 
varying from 3 to 7 inches; 4 or 5 inches, however, pro- 
vides sufficient space for the development of most varie- 
ties. 
Carrot seeds germinate slowly, and it is an advantage 
to sow enough radish seeds with the carrot to mark the 
rows. Tillage operations may then begin sooner, in order 
to conserve moisture and control weeds. The seed should 
not be covered deeper than necessary to furnish the 
proper supply of moisture; ordinarily l / 2 to I inch of soil 
is sufficient. 
376. Fertilizing. — The carrot, like other root crops, re- 
quires a liberal amount of potash. According to Voor- 
hees, a yield of 15 tons an acre will remove 153 pounds 
of potash, 48 pounds of nitrogen and 27 pounds of phos- 
phoric acid. These figures indicate the importance of 
using a high-grade fertilizer. It is likely that a mixture 
carrying 4 per cent of nitrogen, 6 per cent of phosphoric 
acid and 10 or 12 per cent of potash will give the best 
results under most conditions. 
Fresh stable manure should never be applied imme- 
diately before planting carrots. Rotten manures of any 
kind may always be used to advantage, and may be ap- 
plied in liberal amounts. 
377. Cultivation should begin as soon as the rows can 
be seen and repeated at frequent intervals. The knife 
or wing-form of attachments to wheel hoes should be 
used at first, to avoid covering the delicate plants. Later, 
spike-toothed tools may be employed, to secure a deeper 
mulch of loose soil. More or less hand weeding and 
hoeing is necessary to destroy weeds in the row. 
378. Marketing.— Tt frequently pays to pull and mar- 
ket early carrots before they have reached maturity. 
This may be a thinning process, by which the remain- 
ing plants may be given more room to develop. When 
the entire crop is removed at one time, and the roots 
are long, a plow may be run close to the row with cut 
