58 
JOHNSON & STOKES 
nips. Fresh manure is to be avoided, as it makes the roots 
rough. 
The seed should be planted in early spring, while the 
ground is moist, as it germinates very slowly. It should be 
covered to a depth of half an inch, and the soil pressed down 
firmly. The plants must be 
thinned out to stand 3 or 4 
inches apart. 
The parsnip is a vegetable 
of a perfectly hardy character. 
It may remain in the ground, 
just where it grows, all winter. 
The flavor is said to be im- 
proved by hard freezing, and 
no amount of freezing will 
hurt it. 
It has a high value as 
human food, and is demanded 
in large quantities in some 
markets. It also has a high 
value as a stock food, espe- 
cially for cows. It should be 
fed after milking, in quantities 
not sufficient to taint the milk. 
The price is variable, but about 
the same as the carrot. 
Mammoth Sandwich Island Salsify SALSIFY OR OYSTER PLANT. 
as Bunched for Market. 
Salsify, oyster plant or 
vegetable oyster is a root of easy culture and of high food 
value. In shape it resembles the carrot and parsnip, and is 
as perfectly hardy as the latter. The seed should be sown 
an inch under the surface, in spring, in rows 2^ to ZV2 feet 
