r i
i I j’
3666. T h n e s o f sowing. I'o have early summer carrots, sow on a warm border in the beginning of
February ; or, to have them still more forward, sow in a moderate hotbed, giving copious admissions of
a ir. In the open garden, “ begin with the early horn in the last fortnight of February, or first week of
March, as dry, fine, and open weather may occur. T h e first-sown beds should be assigned a favourable
situation, and covered for a time with haulm. Follow with the orange in the first fortnight of March,
and make successive sowings thence till the 20th of April, for main crops. Add smaller sowings twice in
May, for plants to draw young late in summer : also sow a few a t the commencement of July for a later
succession of young carrots in summer and autumn. Lastly, in the beginning of August, two separate
small sowings may be made, for plants to stand the winter, and afford young roots early in spring, Rlarch
and April.”
3667. Cultui-e. “ When the plants are up 2 in. or 3 in. in growth, in May and June, they will require
thinning and clearing from weeds, either by hand or small-hoeing. Thin from 3 in. to 5 in. distance
such as are designed for drawing in young and middling growth. But the main crop, intended for larger
and full-sized roots, thin to G in. or 8 in. distance. Keep the whole clean from weeds in their advancing
young growth. Some of small and middling growth will be fit for drawing in June and July ; large
sizeable roots, in August and September ; and those of full growth, by the end of October.” (A b e r crombie.)
3668. P i-eserving d u r in g w in te r . “ Carrots are taken up at the apjiroach of winter, cleaned, and stored
among sand. Theymay be built very firm, by laying them heads and tails alternately, and packing with
sand. In this way, if frost be excluded from the store-house, they keep perfectly well till March or April
of the following year. Some persons insist th a t the tops should be entirely cut off at th e time of storing,
so as effectually to prevent their growing; while others wish to preserve the capability of vegetation,
though certainly not to encourage the tendency to grow.” Carrots have been kept two years, perfectly
fresh and fit for use, by simply burying them in pits like potatoes. (G a i'd . M a g ., vol. vii. p. 191.)
3669. F orc ing. Carrots may be lorced on a mild hotbed of dung or leaves, by sowing them in Ja n u ary,
and giving them abundance of light and a ir. By the end of February the frame and lights may be
removed, and the bed a t night covered with hoops and mats. The carrots will be fit for using in soups
by the beginning of April. T h e early horn and th e Altrincham are the best sorts for forcing. (M 'I n -
tosh's P ra c tica l Gai'dener, p. 635.)
3670. To save seed. P la n t some largest and best roots in October, November, or the last fortnight
of February, 2 ft. or 20 in. apart, and 6 in. asunder in th e row ; insert them a few inches over the
crowns. M hen they come into flower, stick them like peas, to preserve them from being blown down
by the wind, as weli as to keep the seed from being shaken out. In th e northern districts, where the
winter is severe, preserve the carrots intended for seed in sand till March, and then plant them as above.
They will yield ripe seed in autumn, of which gather only from th e principal umbel, which is likely not
only to afford the ripest and largest seed, but th e most vigorous plants. A considerable quantity of
carrot seed for the supply of the London seedsmen is raised near Weathersfield in Essex, a t Altrincham,
and in the neighbourhood of Knutsford in Cheshire, and much is imported from Holland.
3671. In se c ts. Carrots areoften much injured b y a small centipede (S . e le c tric aX .); another apterous
nsect, with many legs ; and by different species of ringworm ( Jh lu s). 7'hese insects eat into the root,
where they lie concealed, and defy all endeavours to destroy them. T h e upper part of the root is also
often attacked by the grub of a dipterous in s e c t; but this may generally be remedied by late sowing,
which permits the grubs to feed upon other food, and to attain th eir fly state, before the carrot seed
comes up.
S d b s e c t . 5. Parsnep.— Pastlndca sat'iva L. (Eng. Bot. t. 556.); Pentdnd. Digyn. L.
and UmhelUferce J. Panais, F r.; Pastinake, Ger.; Pingsternahel, Dutcli; Pasiinaca,
Ital.; and Zanahoria, Span. See Encyc. o f Agr., § 5471.
3672. The parsnep is a biennial British plant, found in calcareous soils by road-sides.
The garden parsnep has smooth leaves, of a light or yellowish green colour, in whicli it
differs from the wild plant, the leaves of which are haiiy and dark gi’een; the roots also
have a milder taste ; it does not, hoivever, differ so much from the native plant, as the
cultivated does from the native carrot.
3673. Use. The parsnep has long been an inmate of th e garden, and was formerly m uch used. In
Catholic times, it was a favourite Lent root, being eaten with salted fish. “ In the north of Scotland,”
Neill observes, “ parsneps are often beat up with potatoes and a little b u tte r;” of this excellent mess
children are very fond, and they do not fail to thrive upon it. In the north of Ireland, a pleasant table
beverage is prepared from the roots, brewed along with hops. Wine is also sometimes made from pars-
•om them, after a similar preparatory neps ; and an excellent ardent spirit is distilled process to that
bestowed on potatoes destined for distillation.
3674. Varieties.
Common parsnep,Swelling,Large
Guernsey, Panais long of the
Pauais coquin of Guernsey. i ]
T h e Guernsey parsnep appears to be an improved variety of th e common s o rt: it sometimes grows in
Ouwns^r to the length of 4 ft. The hollow-crowned parsnep also grows to a large size, and is thought
by Mr. George Lindley (G u id e to the Orchard a n d K itch en Garden, p. 565.) to be “ most deserving of cultivation,
being very hardy, tender in its flesh, and of a most excellent flavour.” T h e Siam has a root
of a yellowish colour; not very large, but tender and particularly rich in taste.
3675. Soil. The soil most proper for the parsnep should be light, free from stones, and deep. It should
be dug or trenched before sowing a t least two spits deep; and the manure should either be perfectly
decomposed, or, if recent, deposited at the bottom of the trench.
3676. Seed e stimate, a n d sow in g . Sow in th e end of February, or in March, b u t not later than A p r il;
and for a bed 5 ft. by 20 ft., the plants to remain thinned to 8 in. distance, i oz. of seed is the usual
proportion. Havmg prepared either beds, 4 ft. or 5 ft. wide, or one continued plot, sow broad-cast,
m ^ e ra te ly thin, and rake th e seed well into the ground; or, what is preferable, sow i r drills 18 in. apart.
Ih o s e who are curious in parsneps should procure their seeds from Guernsey or Jersey.
3677. Cuiiure . When the plants are about lin ., 2 in., or 3 in. high, in May or June, lot them be
toinned and cleared from weeds, either by hand, or by small-hoeing; thinning them from 8 in. or 12 in.
¿ s ta n c e . Keep them afterwards clean from weeds till th e leaves cover the ground, after which no
furthe r culture will be required. The roots will be pre tty large by the end of September, from which
tune a f ^ may be drawn for present use: but the parsnep is far best a t full maturity, about the dose
followin decay of the leaf. The root wiil remain good for use till April and May
_ 3678. P r e s e r v in g d u r in g w in te r . The parsnep is uot so liable as th e carrot to be h u rt by frost, if left
in the ground; but it is best, in the beginmng of November, when the leaves decay, to dig up a portion
of the ro o t/ and to cut the tops off close, laj'ing them in sand, under cover, ready lor use in hard frosty
weather. I'h e rest will keep good in ground till they begin to shoot in the spring: then, in February
B o o k III. RED BEET. ~ SKIRRET. 845
o r March, dig them u p ; cut the tops off; and, preserved in sand, the root will remain till about the end
of April.
3679. To sa v e seed. “ Transplant someof the best roots in February, 2 ft. asunder, inserted over
tho crowns; they will shoot up in strong stalks, and produce large umbels of seed, ripening in autumn ”
(A b e rc rom b ie .)
S u b s e c t . 6. Red B e e t— Bèta vulgàris L. (Schk. Han. i. t. 56.); P en t Dig. L. and
Chenopôdeæ B. P. Betterave, Fr, ; Rothe Rübe, Ger. ; Biet, or ICaroot, Dutch ;
Barba Biettola, Ital. ; and Betarraga, Span.
3680. The red beet is a biennial plant, rising with large, oblong, thick, and succulent
leaves, generally of a reddish or purple colour ; the roots often 3 in. or 4 in. in diameter,
of 1 ft. or more in length, and of a deep-red colour. It produces greenish flowers in
August. The red beet is a native of the sca-coast of the south of Europe ; it was cultivated
in this country by Tradescant, the younger, in 1656, and then called beet rave (or
bect-radish), from the French name betterave. The field beet, or mangold-wiirzcl, is
supposed to be a hybrid between the red beet and the white species to be afterwards
noticed as a spinaceous plant. For the process for making beet-root sugar, see Gard.
Mag., vol. v, p. 326., and vol. vi. p. 150. ; and also Encyc. o f Agr., § 5482.
3681. Use. T h e roots of the red beet are boiled and sliced, and eaten cold, either by themselves, or
in salads; they also form a beautiful garnish, and are very much used as a pickle. Dried and ground,
they are sometimes used as “ a supplement to coffee.” Dried in an oven in thin slices, they are also
3682. Varieties.
but the principal are —
luargo rooted; Betterave rouge
grosse.
Long-rooted.
Dwarf; one of the best.
Tumip-rooted ; an early vanumerous,
riety ; Betterave rouge rond
précoce.
SmaU-red; Petite betterave
rouge.
Cctsilenaudari/much esteemed
France, and said to have
the flavour of a nu t; Betterave
rouge de Castleiiaudari.
Green-topped; much grown
in Scotland.
le yellc
rooted sorts, none of which
are in general cultivation in
gardens, (Hort. Trans.,
vol. iii. p. 277.)
3683. Seed a n d soil. The beet is always raised from seed, and for a bed 4^ ft. by 12 ft., lo z . is
requisite. The soil in which it naturally delights is a deep rich sand, dry and light ra the r than
moist. Sowing in seed-beds and transplanting has been t r ie d ; but though it may answer for the
spinach or pot-herb beets (the white and its varieties), it will not answer where th e object is a large
clean root.
3684. S ow in g . The beet is sown annually in the last week of March, or beginning of April. If sown
earlier, many of the plants are apt to run into flower, and so become useless. “ The ground on which it
is sown should have been previously enriched by mellow compost and sea- sa n d ; but rank dung is not to
be laid in, as it is apt to induce canker. For th e long-rooted kind, trenched to the depth of 18 in.,
sow either broad-cast on the rough surface, and rake well into the earth ; or, as the seed is large, sow
in drills 1 in. or 2 in. deep, and 1 ft. asunder ; or dot it in with a thick blunt-ended dibble, in rows that
distance, making holes 10 in. or 12 in. apart, about IJ in . deep : drop two or three seeds in each hole, bnt
with the intention to leave only th e best p lan t.”
3685. Subsequent c u ltu r e . “ When th e young plants are auvancea in
5S, 1 in ., 2 in ., o r 3 in . in
growth, they must be thinned and cleared from weeds, either by hand or small-hoeing’, especially those
sown promiscuously broad-cast and in drills : thin the latter to 12 in. distance ; and those holed in by
dibble, to one in each place. 7'hey will acquire a large full growth in the root by September or
October, to take up for use as wanted, and in continuance all winter and spring following: or in November,
it may be proper to dig up a quantity, cut off the leaves, and deposit the roots in dry sand, under
cover, ready for use in winter, in case of hard frosty weather, which would fix them fast in the ground ;
or th e rest may be dug up a t the same time, and trenched in close together in some dry compartment;
to be covered occasionally in severe frost, to prevent their being frozen in, th a t they may be readily
taken up as wanted. 7'owards spring, in February or tbe beginning of March, if any remain in the bed
where raised, their removal then, being trenched in close together over the root, will, in some degree,
check th e ir shooting, and preserve them from running, so as to keep them good all the spring till May
and Ju n e .” (A be rc rombie .)
3686. Housing. In th e northern counties, the winter stock of beet is commonly lifted and housed in
sand, in the manner of carrots. In digging up the roots for this purpose, great care must be taken that
they be not in anywise broken or cut, as they bleed much. For the same reason, the leaves should be
cut off a t least an inch above the solid p a rt of the root.
3687. To save seed. Either leave a few strong roots standing in th e roivs; or select a few, and transplant
them to a spot where they will be in no danger, when in flower, of being impregnated with any
other variety. They will shoot up the second year, when th eir flower-stalks should be tied to stakes, to
prevent their breaking over.
S u b s e c t . 7. Skirret — Smm Stsarum L. (Schk. Hand. i. t. 69.); P en t Dig. L. and
Umbelliferce J. Chervis, F r.; Zuckerwiirzel, Ger.; Suikerwortel, Dutch; Sisaro,
Ital.; and Chirira-tordesca, Span.
3688. The skirret is a perennial tap-rooted plant, a native of China, known in this
countiy since 1548. Tho lower leaves are pinnated, and the stem rises about a foot
high, terminated by an umbel of white flowers, in July and August,
posed of fleshy .tubers, about the size of the little fìnger, and joined tog
or head ; they were fonnerly much esteemed in cookery. In the nortl
plant is cultivated under the name of crummock.
3689. Use. The tubers are boiled, and served up with b u tte r; and were declared by Worlidge, in 1682,
to be “ the sweetest, whitest, and most pleasant of roots.”
3690. Culture . This plant grows freely in a lightish soil, moderately good. Tt is propagated both
from seed, and by offsets of established roots. 7’he better method is to raise seedlings, to have the root
in perfection, young and tender.
3691. B y seed. “ Sow between the 21st of March and the 1.5th of April ; a fortnight later ra the r than
any earlier for a full crop, as plants raised forward in spring are apt to s tart for seed in summer. Sow
on an open compartment of light ground, in small drills Bin. apart. When the plants are 1 in. or 2 in.
high, thin them to 5in. or 6 in. asunder. They will enlarge in growth till the end of autumn ; but
before the roots are full grown, in August, September, or October, some may be taken up for consump
The root is cora-
3ther at the crown
of Scotland, the