CHAPTER XVIII 

 THE ROOT CROPS AND RELATED PRODUCTS 



The term root crop is applied to a class of plants which 

 store up during the first season the excessive nutrients not 

 needed for the immediate use of the plant, in the enlarged 

 tap root and base of the stem. The storing of the food 

 supply is a provision by the plant for the nourishing of 

 the next generation, in the case of annuals, and for the 

 production of a seed stalk in the biennials. In some cases, 

 the food is stored up in thickened leaves, as is the case in 

 cabbage, while in kohlrabi it is stored only in the thickened 

 stem. In the case of rape the excess of nutrients is stored 

 in the slightly thickened leaves. While rape and kohlrabi 

 are not grown for their roots, they are closely related to 

 the root crops and are usually classified with them. 



With the exception of rape and sugar beets, the root 

 crops discussed in this chapter do not hold an important 

 place in American agriculture, but in England and on 

 the Continent they are very important crops. In the 

 United States the use of the silage crop largely takes the 

 place occupied by root crops in the feeding of live stock 

 in Europe. The fact that about 90 per cent of the root 

 plants is water and also that they require a large amount of 

 hand labor in their culture has been responsible for their 

 unpopularity in this country. 



332. The beet family. — ■ The beet. Beta vulgaris, has 

 been developed by long selection for a special purpose 



323 



