21 



other culture plants it may be able to adapt itself to a different 

 regime so long as the root is not frosted. We have not as yet 

 any definite data as to what amount of winter cold will kill the 

 root 



As to soil, the presumption is that, like other rQot crops, it 

 will do best in light soils, which it seems to occupy naturally by 

 preference. Yet it has made a good normal growth in the black 

 heavy adobe of the Economic Garden at this station, which how- 

 ever has, of course, been kept well tilled. It appears therefore 

 to be quite adaptable to a variety of soils ; the New Mexico 

 station reports "aiobesoil" as its preferred ground, but the 

 term is evidently used in a different sense, as designating the 

 loams of the character actually used for building adobe houses ; 

 a use for which the average adobe of California would be 

 inapplicable. 



Propagation. The easiest way to obtain a stand of the 

 canaigre is to plant the smaller roots obtained in harvesting the 

 crop. These develop rapidly, and according to the observations 

 made at the New Mexico station will, when irrigated, quadruple 

 their weight in one season ; they will also in that case produce 

 seed abundantly. One marked peculiarity of the roots, remarked 

 upon by all reports, is that when cut, the upper portion (the 

 one having the root crown) will reconstruct its lower part by 

 new growth which differs markedly from the older by its 

 smoothness. Propagation by seed seems to occur quite rarely 

 in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as in California south of the 

 Tehachipi range. But with more abundant moisture as in the 

 " Weed patch " of the Kern valley (an ancient channel still 

 receiving some seepage) and at this station when early rains 

 occur, the fallen seeds sprout abundantly ; and we will the 

 coming season be enabled to ascertain what advantage there 

 may be in propagating by seed instead of devoting a portion of 

 the root crop to replanting. The seed must be sown quite 

 shallow and lightly covered, when the ground is moist. 



When irrigated the roots will stand close planting, say nine 

 or ten inches apart in rows thirty inches apart, as in the case of 

 sugar beets, since the roots are on the average somewhat smaller 

 than sugar beets ; the average crops willl be somewhat less in 

 weight 



Canaigre roots will sometimes remain in the ground during 

 several successive dry years without injury, growing as soon as 

 the needful moisture comes. This indicates the mode of keep- 

 ing the roots for seed, viz : in dry sand or loam, in a dry place. 

 When kept in piles for any length of time the canaigre root 

 heats and spoils even quicker than the sweet potato. 



