AGRICULTURE REPORT – Growing Carrots
AGRICULTURE REPORT – Growing Carrots
By Bob Bowen
Broadcast: Tuesday, December 28, 2004
I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
Carrots are grown on farms and in small family gardens throughout 1 the world. They are easy to raise and easy to harvest. They have a pleasing taste. And, they contain a lot of carotene which the body changes into Vitamin 2 A.
When people think about carrots, they usually create a mental picture of a long, thin, orange-colored vegetable. But, carrots come in many different sizes and shapes. And not all carrots are orange.
For example, Paris Market carrots are about five centimeters around. Imperator carrots are thin and about twenty-five centimeters long. And Belgian White carrots are white.
For the best results, carrots should be grown in sandy soil that does not hold water for a long time. The soil also should have no rocks.
To prepare your carrot garden, dig 3 up the soil, loosen 4 it, and turn it over. Then, mix some dead plant material or animal waste. Do not add any additional 5 chemical fertilizers 6.
Weather, soil condition, and age affect the way carrots taste. Experts say warm days, cool nights, and a medium soil temperature are the best conditions for growing great tasting carrots.
Carrots need time to develop their full sugar content. This gives them their taste. If they are harvested too early they will not have enough sugar. However, carrots loose their sweetness if you wait too long to remove them from the ground.
The best way to judge if a carrot is ready to be harvested is by its color. Usually, the brighter the color, the better the taste.
Most people do not know that carrots can be grown during the winter months. If the winter is not cold enough to freeze the ground, you can grow and harvest carrots the same way as you do during the summer months.
If the ground does freeze in your part of the world, simply cover your carrot garden with a thick layer of leaves or straw 7. This will prevent the ground from freezing. You can remove the ground cover and harvest the carrots as they are needed.
Carrots are prepared and eaten many different ways. They are cut in thin pieces and added 8 to other vegetables. They are cooked by themselves or added to meat in stews 9. Or, they are washed, and eaten just as they come out of the ground.
Our reports are on the Internet at www.tingroom.com and our e-mail address is special@voanews.com.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Bob Bowen. I'm Gwen Outen.
- These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
- Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。
- Oranges are rich in vitamin C.橙子富含维生素C。
- Vitamin pills make up what you lack in your diet.维生素丸可补充你食物中所缺乏的营养。
- It is difficult to dig the ground when it is frozen.地面冻住了就不易挖掘。
- In those days we often went to dig for wild vegetables.那时候我们常常出去挖野菜。
- I must take some exercise and loosen up my muscles.我必须活动活动使肌肉放松些。
- The medicine may loosen your cough.这种药能减轻你的咳嗽。
- It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
- I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。
- the long-term effects of fertilizers 肥料的长远影响
- Crushed bones make one of the best fertilizers. 骨粉是最佳肥料之一。
- The old peasant is twisting pieces of straw into a rope.这位老农民正把稻草搓成绳子。
- May I have a straw for my drink?给我一根喝饮料的吸管好吗？
- They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
- The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。