﻿68 
  Elementary 
  Species 
  

  

  Beets 
  are 
  even 
  now 
  found 
  in 
  large 
  quantities 
  

   along 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Italy. 
  They 
  prefer 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  as 
  do 
  so 
  many 
  other 
  mem- 
  

   bers 
  of 
  the 
  beet-family, 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  limited 
  to 
  

   Italy, 
  but 
  are 
  found 
  growing 
  elsewhere 
  on 
  the 
  

   littoral 
  of 
  the 
  Mediterranean, 
  in 
  the 
  Canary 
  

   Islands 
  and 
  through 
  Persia 
  and 
  Babylonia 
  to 
  

   India. 
  In 
  most 
  of 
  their 
  native 
  localities 
  they 
  

   occur 
  in 
  great 
  abundance. 
  

  

  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  foliage 
  and 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  

   roots 
  are 
  extremely 
  variable. 
  Some 
  have 
  red 
  

   leafstalks 
  and 
  veins, 
  others 
  a 
  uniform 
  red 
  or 
  

   green 
  foliage, 
  some 
  have 
  red 
  or 
  white 
  or 
  yellow 
  

   roots, 
  or 
  exhibit 
  alternating 
  rings 
  of 
  a 
  red 
  and 
  

   of 
  a 
  white 
  tinge 
  on 
  cut 
  surfaces. 
  It 
  seems 
  only 
  

   natural 
  to 
  consider 
  the 
  white 
  and 
  the 
  red, 
  and 
  

   even 
  the 
  variegated 
  types 
  as 
  distinct 
  varieties, 
  

   which 
  in 
  nature 
  do 
  not 
  transgress 
  their 
  limits 
  

   nor 
  change 
  into 
  one 
  another. 
  In 
  a 
  subsequent 
  

   lecture 
  I 
  will 
  show 
  that 
  this 
  at 
  least 
  is 
  the 
  rule 
  

   with 
  the 
  corresponding 
  color-varieties 
  in 
  other 
  

   genera. 
  

  

  The 
  fleshiness 
  or 
  pulpiness 
  of 
  the 
  roots 
  is 
  still 
  

   more 
  variable. 
  Some 
  are 
  as 
  thick 
  as 
  the 
  arm 
  

   and 
  edible, 
  others 
  are 
  not 
  thicker 
  than 
  a 
  finger 
  

   and 
  of 
  a 
  woody 
  composition, 
  and 
  the 
  structure 
  

   of 
  this 
  woody 
  variety 
  is 
  very 
  interesting. 
  The 
  

   sugar-beet 
  consists, 
  as 
  is 
  generally 
  known, 
  of 
  

   concentric 
  layers 
  of 
  sugar-tissue 
  and 
  of 
  vascu- 
  

  

  