CHARACTER OF PLANTS DESIRED 49 



with eggplants, because the product of a single plant may be worth 

 as much as fifty beets. 



Behavior of Different Plants. — In regard to the behavior of 

 the plants, it may be said that some plants bear transplanting 

 much more readily than others, and are almost certain to survive 

 and develop a marketable crop even though no special precautions 

 are taken in handling them. On the other hand, there are certain 

 crops which suffer severely when transplanted unless special care 

 is taken to have all conditions favorable. In general, plants with 

 a large development of fibrous roots and a compact root system 

 are likely to suffer less in transplanting than those in which the 

 root system consists principally of a few long fibres or a single 

 tap-root. Plants in which the long tap-root constitutes the edible 

 product, as in the case of parsnips, would be especially difficult 

 to transplant successfully. If the tap-root were broken during 

 the operation, a misshapen product would likely result. Long 

 beets would be almost as difficult to transplant. Turnip-shaped 

 beets can be handled satisfactorily. 



The age of the plant may have an important bearing upon the 

 success attending its transplanting. In general, the root system 

 of a very young plant will be much less seriously disturbed in 

 transplanting than that of an older one of the same species, so 

 that, under controlled moisture conditions, it may be feasible to 

 transplant certain species while small that could not readily be 

 handled when older. Furthermore, early transplanting favors the 

 development of a fibrous root system, which in turn may have 

 an important bearing upon the success of subsequent transplanting 

 of the same specimen. However, if shifted from a greenhouse or 

 hotbed to outdoor conditions, a very young and tender plant of a 

 readily transplanted species has insufficient substance to with- 

 stand the vicissitudes of the weather, and is much less likely to 

 thrive than a somewhat older plant of the same species. 



The one great principle involved in all successful transplanting 

 is that the plants must be in such condition and handled in such 

 a way that they will not suffer from lack of moisture during, or 

 shortly follomng, the operation of transplanting. 



Character of Plants Desired. — For transplanting into the open 

 ground, the plants should be strong and stocky as a result of having 

 been grown under favorable conditions with sufficient space for 

 good development of both root and top (Fig. 23). They should 

 be of suitable age for transplanting. This varies from four to 

 4 



