Besides being a hardy crop that may be planted in the early spring as soon as the ground can be worked, carrots have the advantage of having no serious insects or diseases. They require a clean, mellow soil, that will not “bake” over the seeds, and the best of surface tillage. Carrot seeds are so small and so slow in sprouting, that it is good practice to plant radishes or turnips or other quick seeds in the same row, to help break the crust for the tender seedlings. The young carrots have such a slight hold upon the soil, that they need petting, only the shallowest, surface tillage being possible, yet scarcely any of the garden crops need tillage more. But once let the carrots get established in the soil, and they are easy to grow and give good returns. They are sown thickly about one inch deep in rows from 12 to 18 inches apart. When they are well up, they should be carefully thinned so as to stand two to three inches apart in the row. The early varieties will bear forcing and respond to hot-bed culture, but they are slower of growth than radishes or beets, requiring from two to two and a half months to be ready for market. They are tied in bunches of six with the tops left on, and are in great demand in the early season when small and bright and tender. Carrots are of two main types, the early, small variety and the large sort grown in the field for winter use. The large kind is not much grown, because the smaller varieties may be planted late for winter use, and as feed for stock, carrots are no better than the larger root crops. If you grow the early variety for winter use, you will need to be sure that the soil is in good tilth, as dry or weedy soil would be fatal to carrots. Maybe you are tired of reading that all these crops need good tillage; but you will be much more tired if you neglect it. This crop may be sown as late as the middle of June in the Northern States, and the ground should be sown with some early crop, like radishes, to keep it in good condition until needed for the late carrots. Carrot seed is sown thickly, about two pounds of seed being required for an acre, or one ounce to about 300 feet of drilled row, if the seed is fresh. A good crop of carrots is from 200 to 300 bushels per acre. The best varieties are the Early Forcing, which may be grown in hot-beds, cold-frames, open garden in the spring, and also in the fall for home use; the half-long Danvers for a good, reliable mid-season crop and the Long Scarlet for a good late crop. These root crops are among the prettiest “fancy goods”—where they can be sold directly to well-to-do people they bring fancy prices. TURNIPS.