Carrot

a well known vegetable. The original plant grows wild in Europe and northern Asia, but the root is small and tough. It was cultivated at an early date in Belgium and in France. It is related to the parsnip. The seed stalks are arranged like the rays of an umbrella, as is the case with all plants of the umbelliferous family. The carrot of one year raises seed the next year. The seeds are valuable for medicinal purposes. The spindle-shaped root is rich in nitrogen and is valued for the table and for cattle. Sheep are fond of carrots. Over 2,000,000 bushels a year are raised in the United States. Oil of carrot, obtained from the root, is used in tanning leather. The carrot was brought to Virginia in 1609 and carrot seed was sown at Plymouth in 1621. The Indians of New England and New York obtained seeds from the white people. A cross section of a carrot shows an outer ring and a central core. As the ring tastes better and is more valuable for food, plant breeders are trying to produce a variety that shall have a small core or even none at all. See Vegetables