FOOD AND FLAVOR 197 



acter, will result when the varied races from Eu- 

 rope, Asia, China, and Chile are blended with 

 American stock is quite certain. 



The onion is not very easy to hybridize because, 

 of its small flowers. But it is only necessary to 

 use reasonable care to effect hybridization, and 

 the results are likely to repay the effort. 



Indeed, whether by hybridizing or by mere 

 selection, the Alliums are susceptible of great 

 improvement along almost any line one may 

 choose. The odor, for example, may very readily 

 be intensified or decreased, and the size and 

 flavor modified. On the whole I regard this as 

 one of the most interesting vegetables with which 

 to work. But there are many other plants prized 

 for their flavor that also merit attention. 



The Parsley Family 



Prominent among these are the members of 

 the parsley family. 



The common parsley and its close relative the 

 caraway vary a good deal in flavor in individual 

 plants grown from the same lot of seed. Only 

 persons with a developed or specialized sense of 

 taste are likety to notice this, however. 



To the person who tastes them carefully, it 

 will be obvious that some specimens are much 

 sweeter and better flavored than others. 



