THE KINDS OF ROOTS.
The kinds of roots that are most profitable to grow in this country for forage may now be de scribed briefly. To these might be added potatoes and kohlrabi, both treated in separate articles. Cabbage, kale and pumpkin [see separate articles] are also practically comparable with roots as to feeding value.
Carrot. Daucus Carota, Linn. Umbelliferee.
The carrot is used as human food and is also esteemed for all classes of stock, especially horses. The leaves are also relished by stock. It belongs to the same order as the parsnip, celery, parsley and several other useful herbs. It is sometimes annual, but generally is biennial. The edible part is made up of parts of the stem and root which have become thickened. A section of carrot shows two well defined layers, an outer, and an inner layer or core, which frequently vary in color. The proportion existing between the two layers is variable. Since the outer layer is esteemed to be of higher value than the core, the aim in breeding has been to produce "coreless" varieties.
The average percentage composition is, approxi mately, water, 88.6 ; ash, 1 ; protein, 1.1 ; crude fiber, 1.3 ; nitrogen-free extract, 7.6 ; ether extract, 0.4.
History.
The carrot is known to have been in cultivation for about two thousand years. It is mentioned by Pliny, and the wild carrot was known to the Greek writers 300 B. C. It has received more attention in France than in any other country, and there is reason to think that as early as the first century it was esteemed there. Cultivated varieties were recorded as growing in the gardens and fields of Europe in the sixteenth century and had by that time been introduced and disseminated over the central and northern parts of South America. They were grown in Virginia as early as 1609 and were in Massachusetts twenty years later. The Indians carried them westward, and in 1779 General Sullivan destroyed carrots at Geneva, N. Y.
The influence of environment is marked in this plant. Vilmorin succeeded in developing commer cial varieties from the wild carrot, by sowing the seed in well-prepared ground and selecting the best plants for three successive generations.
The carrot is now cultivated or found wild over all parts of the world. It is probably native of Europe, where the most attention is now being given to its improvement. Although it has been grown on this continent, practically as long as the European occupation its culture has not assumed any large proportions in any place.
Varieties.
Varieties are classified according to their shape, as (Fig. 774): (1) Taper-pointed, (2) stump-rooted or premorse and (3) cylindrical. These are charac terized as follows : (1) Taper-pointed. The roots taper uniformly from crown to taproot..
(2) Premorse. The roots end abruptly at the base, the taproot starting from a flat or nearly flat surface.
(3) Cylindrical. The roots are cylindrical for at least two-thirds of their length and then taper.
In both (1) and (2) we may have long, half-long and short varieties, according to the ratio existing between the length and greatest diameter ; thus, Long=length more than fern times the width.
Half-long=length more than twice, but less than four times the greatest width. Short =length less than twice the width.
The cylindrical types are all long. Of these three types the following varieties may be given : Taper-pointed, long : White Belgian, Long Orange, Long Red (grown largely for stock, and have one third to one-quarter of the root out of the ground). Taper-pointed, half-long : Danvers Half-long, Car ter's One Hundred Ton. Premorse, half-long : Early Horn (various synonyms), Lobberick Agricultural Carrot (stock). Premorse, short : Early Frame (various synonyms). Cylindrical, long: Altringham and Japanese varieties. Vilmorin Coreless Long Red belongs in this class. It is stump-rooted. The colors red, orange, yellow and white exist in all types.
The stump-rooted type and half-long varieties should be selected for shallow and heavy soils. The long types may be grown on the deeper and more friable soils.