208 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



ferent families of plants, it is absolutely necessary to take the composi 

 tion is well as the quantity of solid matter into consideration. In the 

 case of carrots, however, an examination of the solid matter does not 

 fihow that they are superior to that of the beet. As a general rule we 

 have found that those roots of a particular variety of the beet which 

 had white flesh were superior to those exhibiting a colored flesh. An 

 other cause of exception was that the roots which grew out of the soil, 

 and whose upper segment was colored more or less green, contained 

 less solid matter than those which had fully grown under the soil ; 

 hence if a large part of the root grows out of the soil, the portion thut 

 exposed will partake of the character of the segment immediately be 

 low the crown. This would seem to recommend a change in the usual 

 practice of culture.&quot; 



