4 



THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 



could be done, the specimens that had leaves with the 

 broadest divisions, lightest colour, and fewest hairs. 

 As cultivated parsnips offer a curious contrast with 

 the wild specimens in these respects, we place the 

 following notes, side by side, on the root-leaves of 

 plants of the same period of growth. 



We have before remarked that neither in size 

 nor form are the wild roots at all comparable with 

 the cultivated ones. Our figures 1 and 2 were 

 taken from fine roots of the wild parsnip of the first 

 year's growth ; that is to say, just at the same time 

 as a crop parsnip would be at its best. They were 

 purposely taken from specimens obtained from the 

 same district as the seed with which our experiments 

 were commenced. 



Our first crop of roots from the wild seed presented 

 great diversities in shape, being for the most part 

 even more forked than the originals, but still with 

 a general tendency to fleshiness. Of these the best 

 shaped were reserved for seeding ; and having been 

 kept the greater part of the winter in sand, some six 

 of the best were planted in another plot for seed. 

 The seed, then, of 1849 was sown in the spring of 

 1850, in a freshly-prepared bed, the plants being 

 treated as before, the results showing a decided 



