SUCCULENT ROOTS AND THEIR USE AS FOOD. 3 



main in the' ground and are not killed, they will start to grow and 

 send up their flower stalks and bear seed. This is, of course, the 

 purpose for which nature designed the reserve material stored up 

 in the roots which we use as food. This second-year growth may be 

 turned to advantage for the table ; a surplus of turnips, too wilted for 

 table use, may be planted out in spring and, while the leaves; are still 

 tender, will furnish a crop of good greens, or may be added to salads 

 if one prefers. 



FOOD VALUE OF SUCCULENT ROOTS. 



Many factors may be considered in deciding on the food value of 

 any material, but one which must be taken into account is its 

 chemical composition. When that has been learned, there is a 

 definite basis for discussing its value in supplying the protein essen- 

 tial as a source of nitrogen for use in tissue building and which also 

 supplies energy, the energy-yielding starches, sugars, and fats, the 

 tissue-building and body-regulating mineral matters, and so on. 

 The following table presents these facts regarding the more impor- 

 tant succulent roots : 



Average composition of succulent roots, tubers, and bulbs. 



Kind of vegetable. 



Beets, fresh 



Beets, cooked 



Celeriac 



Carrots, fresh 



Carrots, desiccated 



Parsnips 



Salsify, "oyster plant" 



Black salsify 



Radishes. 



Turnips, white 



Turnips, yellow (rutabagas). 



Kohl-rabi 



Onions 



Garlic 



Potatoes , 



Horse radish ■. 



Refuse. 



Per 

 cent. 

 7.0 



20.0 

 20.0 



20.0 

 25.0 

 20.0 



10.0 

 10.0 

 20.0 

 30.0 



20.0 



Edible portion. 



Water. 



Per 



cent. 

 87.5 

 88.6 

 84.1 

 88.2 

 3.5 

 83.0 

 85.4 

 80.4 

 91.8 

 89.6 

 88.9 

 91.1 

 87.6 

 64.6 

 78.3 

 76.7 



Pro- 

 teui. 



Per 

 cent. 

 1.6 

 2.3 

 1.5 

 1.1 

 7.7 

 1.6 

 4.3 

 1.0 

 1.3 

 1.3 

 1.3 

 2.0 

 1.6 

 6.8 

 2.2 

 2.7 



Fat. 



Per 

 cent. 



0.1 

 .1 

 .4 

 .4 



3.6 

 .5 

 .3 

 .5 

 .1 

 .2 

 .2 

 .1 

 .3 

 .1 

 .1 

 .4 



Carbohydrates. 



Sugar, 



starch, 



etc. 



Per 

 cent. 



Crude 

 fiber. 



11.8 



8.2 



8C 



11.0 



6.8 



14.8 



5.1 



6.8 



7.3 



4.2 



9.1 



26.3 



18.0 



15.9 



7.4 



Per 

 cent. 

 0.9 



1.4 

 1.1 



2.5 

 2.0 

 2.3 

 .7 

 1.3 

 1.2 

 1.3 



.4 

 2.7 



Ash. 



Per 



cent. 

 1.1 

 1.6 



.8 

 1.0 

 4.9 

 1.4 

 1.2 

 1.0 

 1.0 



.8 

 1.1 

 1.3 



.6 

 1.4 

 1.0 

 1.6 



Fuel 



value 



per 



pound. 



Calo- 

 ries. 



2ie 



180 

 285 

 205 

 1,745 

 295 

 250 

 350 

 135 

 180 

 185 

 140 

 220 

 620 

 380 

 400 



As a rule the succulent roots, tubers, and bulbs contain larger 

 e[uantities of water than the starchy vegetables and consequently 

 have a lower nutritive value, pound for pound. The proportion of 

 nitrogenous material which they contain is low, and of this small 

 aanount not more than a third, and frequently only a fifth, is in the 



