ON SOME COMMON GARDEN PLANTS 



of the habit of its wild ancestor. The carrot also 

 is not altogether free from its wild instincts, and 

 will pretty readily revert to the wild state. 



I have experimented with the wild carrot, 

 which has a long, hard, slender root, and found 

 that this could be brought back to the production 

 of what might be called a civilized root. 



I have also found that color can be added to 

 the carrot root or taken away from it by selection 

 through successive generations. 



This is quite what we might expect when we 

 consider the difference in color between the roots 

 of the carrot and the parsnip, which in their wild 

 forms are very closely related. 



There is opportunity for some one to undertake 

 the improvement of both parsnip and carrot as to 

 the quality and shape of their roots, and such ex- 

 periments might very likely prove successful if 

 carried out persistently, notwithstanding my fail- 

 ure to produce marked modifications in this 

 regard. The flavor of the carrot could also be 

 improved, probably without great difficulty. 

 Salsify or Oyster Plant 



There is another root that offers a challenge to 

 the plant developer somewhat as do the parsnip 

 and carrot, by the very fact of its obstinate resist- 

 ance to any change. This is the plant called the 

 Salsify, usually known to gardeners as the oyster- 



[71] 



