COMMON GARDEN PLANTS 119 



recently developed of all the garden vegetables — 

 it is the short and few-leaved stems that become 

 thick, bulbous, and edible. 



Here, then, is a plant in the different races of 

 which the stem, the leaves, and the flowers re- 

 spectively have been modified until they are 

 edible monstrosities. Few other plants show 

 such versatility ; so the familiar colloquialism that 

 dubs a dunce a "cabbage head" is obviously lack- 

 ing in fitness of application. 



If the cabbage tribe were to develop a member 

 having an edible root, its versatility would be 

 universal; and, indeed, a very near relative be- 

 longing to the same genus makes up the de- 

 ficiency in this regard: for the turnip has about 

 as much root in proportion to its size as a plant 

 can possibly produce. 



As might be expected, considering their origin, 

 the different crucifers vary greatly. The various 

 cabbages and cauliflowers and Brussels sprouts 

 may be hybridized with one another or with the 

 strap-leaved turnips without difficulty. 



But the result is usually a rather curious lot of 

 mongrels that have no utility, all apparently 

 tending to turn back toward the wild parent 

 form. Each member of the family has been de- 

 veloped to its present specialized form through 

 many generations of selection alone; and the 



