==CARROT==

==Daucus Carota==

The Carrot is a somewhat fastidious root, for although it is grown in
every garden, it is not everywhere produced in the best style possible.
The handsome long roots that are seen in the leading markets are the
growth of deep sandy soils well tilled. On heavy lumpy land long clean
roots cannot be secured by any kind of tillage. But for these unsuitable
soils there are Sutton's Early Gem, the Champion Horn, and Intermediate,
which require no great depth of earth; while for deep loams the New Red
Intermediate answers admirably.

==Forcing.==--Carrots are forced in frames on very gentle hot-beds. They
cannot be well grown in houses, and they must be grown slowly to be
palatable. It is usual to begin in November, and to sow down a bed every
three or four weeks until February. A lasting hot-bed is of the first
importance, and it is therefore necessary to have a good supply of
stable manure and leaves. The material should be thoroughly mixed and
allowed to ferment for a few days. Then turn the heap again, and a few
days later the bed may be made up. In order to conserve the heat the
material will need to be three to four feet deep, and if a box frame is
used the bed should be at least two feet wider than the frame. Build up
the material in even, well-consolidated layers, to prevent unequal and
undue sinking, and make the corners of the bed perfectly sound. Put on
the bed about one foot depth of fine, rich soil; if there is any
difficulty about this, eight inches must suffice, but twelve is to be
preferred. As the season advances less fermenting material will be