FOOD AND FLAVOR 213 



roots depends upon conditions of cultivation or 

 nourishment, not upon inherent differences 

 beween the different plants. 



It may chance some day that an exceptional 

 horse-radish plant will produce seed, just as an 

 exceptional potato plant does from time to time. 



In that case there will doubtless be opportu- 

 nity to improve the horse-radish somewhat as I 

 was able to improve the potato or sugar cane by 

 growing plants from the seed. 



But until such an exceptional seed bearer is 



found, we must accept the horse-radish as it is, 



and admit our powerlessness to change it 



markedly. 



The Peppers 



The versatile family of Solanums, several 

 members of which have already claimed our 

 attention, supplies an important group of plants 

 that are prominent among the producers of 

 pungent and aromatic flavors. 



These relatives of the sunberry, tomato, 

 potato, and egg plant are the peppers, of which 

 there are large numbers of cultivated varieties 

 in different countries. 



The different peppers vary from the size of 

 a barleycorn to that of a very large apple and 

 even in some cases approaching the dimensions 

 of a small squash, and in color from black through 



