November 11, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
803 
Vegetable s 
ALL THE YEAR ROUND. 
XI. AND XII. 
CARDOONS-CARROTS. 
CARB00NS. 
The stalks are blanched and used for soups 
and salads. The inner leaves of the plant are 
blanched. 
Soil and Situation.—-A light, medium loam 
is the most suitable; a clayey soil must be 
deeply dug, well broken up in the bottom, and 
the top left lumpy throughout the winter for 
the weather and frosts to sweeten and pul¬ 
verise. Such ground may be broken up nicely 
in the spring, when the plants will grow and 
thrive in it. Apply manure to heavy soils in 
the autumn, and to light in the spring. 
Sowing the Seeds. —The plants may be 
raised from seeds sown in a frame early in 
spring, transplanted like Celery plants are, and 
finally put out in their permanent quarters 
1 . 2 . 
1. Root growing in well tilled soil. 
2 Root growing in badly tilled soil, full of stones 
and fresh strawy manure. The root has a 
green crown. 
during May. But the best plan is to sow the 
seeds thinly in rows, the latter being about 
3 ft. apart. 
Summer Treatment.—When the seedlings 
are a few inches high and well established thin 
out all the weakest, leaving the strong ones 
about nine inches asunder. Water freely at all 
times during dry weather, and tie up the plants 
in the same way as Lettuces are treated, and, 
later, earth up the rows similarly to Celery. 
This is done to ensure blanching. During 
severe weather cover the plants with straw or 
rough litter. 
In season from autumn to spring. 
- G. 
CARROTS. 
Amateurs who exhibit vegetables generally 
strive to produce beautifully-shaped Carrots, 
and those persons who possess nice sandy 
ground are fortunate, more so than their brother 
enthusiasts who have to depend upon a stiff 
soil. -The latter are not always defeated in the 
show tent. I will give a few hints to growers 
w r ho have to cultivate their crops on clayey 
land later in this series. 
The Soil and Situation. —a light, sandy 
soil is easily worked, and suits the Carrot, it 
is a curious fact that the plants seem to thrive 
best in a somewhat exposed position. But it is 
a well-known fact, also, that Carrots do remark¬ 
ably well in sheltered places, though it is quite 
necessary that full daylight must reach them. 
If the light and the sunshine are excluded, or 
partly so, the roots will uot attain to the average 
size. 
As the Carrot is a deep-rooting subject, and 
impatient of stagnant moisture, soil which is 
heavy and undrained should be deeply tilled 
and drained in some simple but effective way. 
Such draining would be beneficial to other 
crops as well as Carrots. 
Sowing the Seeds. —For very early use 
a few seeds may be sown in a cold frame, with 
a few Lettuces and Radishes, the latter to be 
pulled up while quite young and the Lettuces 
before they interfere with the Carrots. 
For the earliest outdoor crop, prepare a 
portion of a warm, sunny border by digging up 
the soil and thoroughly breaking all lumpy 
parts even down 15 ins. below the surface; 
it is not enough that the surface soil only be 
pulverised. 
The English and French Horn varieties may 
be sown broadcast somewhat thinly, and the 
seeds covered with fine soil, a portion of which 
should be taken from the bed and mixed with 
sifted potting soil and a small quantity of wood 
ashes. Jf too thick, thin out the seedlings 
early, and also any weeds. These early crops are 
economically raised and are much appreciated 
The Main Crop should be grown in a more 
open position. The ground requires good and 
deep tillage, and should have been manured in 
the autumn, so that the soil and manure may 
have become well mixed and any strawy parts 
be thoroughly decayed. Sow in April and early 
in May. 
Draw out drills 14 inches apart and a little 
more than one inch deep. Choose calm weather 
for the sowing, as the seeds are light; if they 
adhere together, gently rub them in the hands. 
Sow thinly, and before closing in the drills 
scatter a little burnt soil or wood ash on the 
seeds. Finish the work by raking over the 
surface nicely. 
The Summer Treatment. —Thin out the 
seedlings when the latter are about 2 ins. 
high, and always keep them free from weeds. 
3. 
3. Storing the roots in ashes, sand, or soil, in a 
shed or storehouse. 
Even small weeds, it numerous, interfere with 
the ultimate form fit the root, as they press 
against them and cause deformity ; so also do 
the Carrots themselves if grown too thickly 
together. Often enough the isolated plants 
grow into the finest specimens. 
During the whole of the summer hoe between 
the rows regularly. 
Lifting and Storing the Crop. —A few 
degrees of frost will not injure the roots while 
they are in the ground, but they must not be 
exposed to it after being lifted. 
Commence at one end of the row, and with 
the aid of a garden fork raise the roots without 
bruising them. It is wrong to forcibly pull 
them up. Cut off the tops two inches from the 
crowns, and then take them to the shed or other 
place for 
Storing, —A cool, dry shed will do very well, 
or, failing such a place, select a dry border on 
the north side of a fence, dig out a broad trench 
and place the roots in an upright position, em¬ 
bedding them in sand or ashes, and finally 
covering with straw to keep out rains. 
If kept in a shed the roots should be laid 
down horizontally and packed in layers with 
ashes or sand. 
4. Storing roots in a trench in an open border. 
They are packed upright in ashes or sand, and 
finally roughly thatched over, (a) The outer 
thatch; (b) loose straw. 
Insect Pests and Diseases. —While the 
plants are young slugs destroy them wholesale 
by eating them off just above the ground level. 
Lessen the number of these pests by hand¬ 
picking them during showery weather and in 
the evenings. Also scatter dry lime about the 
plants, and wood or cinder ashes ; the slugs 
have a difficulty in crawling over the latter. 
Wireworms also destroy the roots. If it is 
known that there are wireworms in the soil 
dig in during the autumn three pecks of gas 
lime to each square rod of ground. Do not 
crop this ground for at least four months after 
applying the lime. 
Another good remedy is to sow Mustard, and 
when it is in full bloom break down the plants 
and dig them in whole, sowing the Carrots im¬ 
mediately after. Wireworms will then leave 
the quarter where the Mustard is buried. 
Varieties. —Early English and French Horn, 
New Red Intermediate, Long Red Surrey, and 
if a white variety is wanted select Giant White, 
In season (new roots) from April to July 
and matured roots from August to the following 
spring. G. 
