Parsnip 322. The Parsnip, (Pastinaca sativa, L. ; Pentandria Digynia ; nat. ord. Umbellifer.e),is a biennial plant. The wild parsnip is not uncommon by the way sides near Lon don, and in many parts of England, chiefly on calcareous soils : it is figured in English Botany, t. 556. The garden variety has smooth leaves, of a light or yellowish-green co lour, in which it differs from the wild plant, the leaves of which are hairy and dark green : the roots also have a a milder taste: it does not, however, differ so much from the native plant, as the cultivated does from the native carrot. It has long been an inmate of the garden, and it was formerly much more in use than it is now. It was, in Catholic times, a favourite Lent root, being eaten with salted fish. It is doubtless a highly nutritious escu lent, and the increase of its cultivation might be useful to the labouring class in England. In the north of Scotland, parsnips are often beat up pith potatoes and a little butter ; of this excellent mess the children of the peasantry 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. Parsnip wine is also made in some places. If the crop prove too large for the use of the family, the superfluous part (as has been reillal kcd of turnips and carrots) will be found to be very acceptable and useful to a milch cow.
The soil preferred for parsnips is a light loam, but al most any soil will do, provided it be pretty deep ; the pars nip requires, however, a stronger soil than the carrot. The quarter should be trenched, or at least deeply dug, in order that the roots may have liberty to strike freely downwards. The seed is sown, broad-cast. in March, either alone, or together with a proportion of radishes, lettuces, or carrots, and in light soils it is well trodden in : the salad plants be ing soon removed, or the carrots drawn young, do not ma terially hinder the growth of the parsnips, which spread and swell chiefly in the latter part of the summer. The parsnips are hoed out to about eight or ten inches asunder, or in strong ground a little wider ; and the hoeing is re peated as often as the growth of weeds may render it pro per. When the leaves begin to decay, the roots are fit for use. They arc taken up as wanted during the winter, the Tout not being in the least injured by frost. About the beginning. of February, however, the remaining part of the crop is raised and stored among sand, as the roots become stringy as soon as the new growth takes place, and the flower-stalk begins to form. In some places, the whole crop is taken up in the end of October, and either stored in sand like can rots, or placed in covered pits in the man ner of potatoes. If two or three large roots be transplant ed to a sheltered border, they will not fail to ripen their seeds, and to afford a sufficient supply : it is proper to tie the flower-stems to stakes, as they grow high, and are apt to be broken over by the wind. seed that is more than a
vear old should never be sown.
In the first volume of the Scottish Horticultural Me moirs, (p. 405), Dr Macculloch has described two varie ties of parsnip, which are Cultivated in the Channel Islands, and there attain extraordinary size,—the Coquaine and Lie. bonaise. The former runs deep into the soil, perhaps three or four feet ; the latter becomes thick, but remains short, and is therefore suited to shallow soils. The French wri ters describe a variety having the root of a yellowish co lour, more tender, and of a richer taste than the common kind : they call it the Siam parsnip.
Red Beet.
323. Red Beet (Beta vulgaris, L. P•ntandria Digynia.; Juss ) is a biennial plant, a native of the sea coast of the south of Europe. It was cultivated by Tea descant the younger in 1656. It was formerly called in this country beet•rave (or beet-radish), from the French name bette-rave. The leaves of the cultivated sort are large, thick, and succulent, generally red or purple ; the roots large, pet haps three or four inches in diameter, and a foot in length, and of a deep red colour. They are boiled and sliced, and eaten cold, either by themselves or in salads; they also form a beautiful garnish, and are much used as a pickle. The roots of a variety having green leaves are by sonic accounted more tender than those of the red lea t ed sort, and are on that accouat preferred. Others prefer those with dark red leaves, provided these he small and few in number. There is a short or turnip-rooted variety, also of a purple colour, and used for the sante purposes. From its mode of growth, this is much better suited than the others to heat y or to shallow soils.
Red beet icquires a light but rich soil, of considerable depth, and which has not been recently manured. The ground should be trenched, or very deeply delved, and at the same time broken small with the spade. The seed is sown in April, in drills, an inch deep, and fifteen inches asunder. If sown in March, many of the plants are apt to send up flower-stalks, and so become useless. Kitchen gar deners often sow red beet along with carrots and onions ; and drawing these two last for the market when young, they leave the beet alone to occupy the ground.
324. In lifting beet for the winter stock, care should taken that the roots be not anywise broken or cut, as they bleed much. For the same reason, the tops or leaves are cut off at least an inch above the solid part of the root. They are cleaned, and laid in close rows along the floor of the cellar or store-house, sometimes without any vering of sand, taking care, however, to exclude frost ; but more frequently packed with sand in the manner of carrots.