266 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 171. 



The material was collected at this time for the purpose of determining 

 the influences of the different fertilizers on the proportion of the reserve 

 plant foods stored in the roots. The first crop of stalks would be cut 

 from the plots in the following spring, and it was desirable to ascertain 

 if any relationship could be demonstrated between the reserve food stored 

 in the roots and the amount of growth made in the spring. 



At the time the roots were dug the tops of the plants had been killed 

 by frost and the stems were breaking down. It was consequently assumed 

 that the roots had stored all the reserves of plant food which the stalks 

 would have for their growth in the following spring. 



Since these samples were primarily for studying the effects of fertilizers, 

 each plot was represented by four plants which were selected by the size 

 and number of their stalks, on the assumption that a plant with an average 

 amount of tops would possess an average lot of roots. • 



The crown and attached roots of each plant were dug with spade and 

 trowel by means of wMch the longest roots were followed to their tips. 

 The word "roots" is used here to designate the rod-Uke storage roots of 

 the plant, and not the fibrous feeding roots which were rubbed off during 

 the wasliing process. 



The roots in this lot were selected and the digging supervised by Mr. 

 E. F. Gaskill, assistant agriculturist. The subsequent preparation of the 

 samples for chemical analysis was supervised by Mr. P. H. Smith, in 

 charge of the feed and dairy section of this department. The writer was 

 assigned to tliis investigation in January, 1910, and the work has since 

 been wholly in his charge. 



A second lot of roots was collected on Nov. 4, 1910, by the writer and 

 Mr. Gaskill after the plants had been set in the field three and one-half 

 years. Two crops of stalks had been cut for market during their life, — 

 a short crop in 1909 and a full crop in 1910. Plants were selected as 

 before by the size and number of the matured stalks, wliich were in the 

 same condition of decay as in 1908. 



The roots had now ramified to such an extent that those of adjacent 

 plants were more or less intermingled, making it impracticable to follow 

 all roots of selected plants to their tips. Therefore a circle with a radius 

 extending halfway to the adjacent plants in the row was cut with a spade 

 around the chosen plant, after which the crown and attached storage 

 roots were removed from the soil. It was noted that most of the roots 

 ended in the characteristic pointed tips without cut ends, and were there- 

 fore fully representative of the plant. 



The roots were shaken free of soil, put in sacks and shipped to Amherst. 

 Two days elapsed between the removal of the roots from the soil and 

 their reception at the laboratory. Upon their arrival they were placed in 

 a cool cellar used for vegetable storage. 



Each crown was next separated into small sections in order to remove 

 adhering soil, and the parts, together with the attached roots, were 

 scrubbed with a stiff brush, after which they were rinsed in clean water. 



