EXAMINATION" OP THE BEET. 79 



pressed that they cannot be separated without destruc- 

 tion. (See fig. 12.) Then in water they assume their 

 primitive form. (See fig. 13.) 



If the neck above ground be examined some curious 

 facts will be made known. A considerable number of 

 utricles here exist ; these are filled with crystals (fig. 

 14) ; the latter become more and more numerous as the 



Fig. 12. Fig. 13. 



' / V • ^ 



After being Washed in Alcohol. After being Washed in Water. 



length of the neck increases. Strange to say, none of 

 these exist in the portion of the beet below the sur- 

 face. As the age of the root advances the central 

 utricular portion here disappears, and leaves a cavity 

 which is considered to correspond to the " moelle" in 

 vegetables. 



As Mr. Decaisne justly remarks, here is a character- 

 istic difference between the neck and the root. 



We will now examine the contents and composition 

 of the various cells mentioned above, these being very 

 numerous, and corresponding to the size and age of the 



