Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1875 — Carrot and Parsnip Seed. [ARTICLE]

Carrot and Parsnip Seed.

More complaints reach us every year of the failure of carrot and parsnip seed than of any other two kinds of vegetables. Doubtless there are large quantities of old seed sold which has lost its vitality, but, as this is generally mixed with good, fresh seed, a total failure wall seldom occur if the proper precautions are taken in preparing the soil for its reception. Plants of either the above-named roots are quite delicate-when they first.appear aboveground and quite liable to he injured by drought, heavy rains, or smothered by weeds. If the soil is of a very compact nature, the surface becoming hard and , baked after showers, the young plants frequently perish in their attempts to break through the crust. To avoid failure, all these conditions should be taken into account in preparing a seed-bed, and the surface made of as light and friable nature as possible, all lumps being broken down with harrow and roller. To avoid all hard feelings against it is well to test. a dozen or two of in advance of sowing in the garden. A flower-pot or small box filled with fine soil and then placed in a warm room, where it can be watched and watered when necessary, will,usually enable a man to lay the blame for garden failures just where it belongs. We think that any man who will sow a half-acre or more of ground with any kind of vegetable seeds without knowing positively in advance whether the seed is good or not is very likely to become a victim of misplaced confidence in other matters as well. Of course it is an uncomfortable state of mind to be always thinking that everybody is dishonest but your own dear self; still it is quite safe to practice something of the sort in business matters, especially when it is so easy to know you are right before going ahead as in this instance of testing seeds. Soaking the seed for a few hours, then mixing w r ith dry ashes or plaster, will also hasten germination and very frequently sufficiently to enable us to hoe or cultivate before the weeds have made much show in the same same ground. Another point worthy of attention Js to avoid covering the seeds too deep, especially on heavy soils. A lialf-incb of soil is abundant covering. —Rural New Yorker.