76 
Garden Work 
soil is therefore not suitable, while a light sandy soil 
sometimes gets so hot in early spring that it checks the 
growth of the crop before the root is thoroughly estab- 
lished. A light soil, however, is most suitable for an 
early crop. On such a soil the seed can sometimes be 
sown a month earlier, with 
the very best results. A 
good peaty soil will grow 
exceptionally good crops of 
Carrots. As the root may 
go down 2 or 3 ft., the soil 
ought to be trenched to 
that depth, or even deeper, 
and it should not be too 
rich. A piece of ground 
which has been heavily 
manured the previous year 
— as for Celery, for instance 
— will be suitable without 
the addition of any farm- 
yard manure. If the soil 
is too rich, the root will 
“ fork out ” into several 
branches, instead of form- 
ing one nice, long, thick 
taproot; or, if it forms a single root, it is apt to split. 
The first sowing may be made at the end of February, 
or beginning of March, on a nice warm early border, the 
short-horn varieties being used, while a successional sow- 
ing of the same kind may be made until the end of March. 
The main crop should be sown during the first week in 
