216 



FERTILIZERS FOR \'EGETABLES 



more or less by the proper use of fertilizers. But first, let 

 us take up these different qualities for a closer consideration. 



The one chief edible quality which all vegetables must 

 possess in common is that they be palatable or agreeable to 

 the taste and appetizing. Flavor and texture enter largely 

 into the matter of palatability, while all the qualities men- 

 tioned above may influence the appetizing property. Often 

 a good test of the high quality of some vegetables is the ability 

 to make one's mouth water at. sight or smell, though we must 

 confess that in some cases such a test may be very mis- 

 leading. 



Under flavor we would place taste and smell or a combina- 

 tion of these. The fundamental kinds of taste in vegetables 

 are sweet, sour and bitter. Sweetness as a desirable quality 

 should be prominent in sweet com, peas, melons, squashes, 

 pumpkins, beets, turnips, etc. It is a desirable quality, 

 though less pronounced in asparagus, celery, parsnips, car- 

 rots, potatoes, etc. We look for acidity in rhubarb, toma- 

 toes, etc. In plants used for salads and greens, a suggestion 

 of bitterness is usually desired. For flavor as shown by the 

 combined senses of taste and smell, we have as pronounced 

 representatives onions, horseradish, cabbage, turnips, cauli- 

 flower, brussels sprouts, celery, etc., in most of which the 

 characteristic flavors are due to the presence of certain sul- 

 phur compounds. The next edible quality of importance in 

 most vegetables is what we call texture, which is dependent: 

 on tenderness, succulence and crispness, a quality of such 

 obvious fundamental value that we do not need to dwell on it. 



Regarding formi, size and color in vegetables, these are 

 qualities that appeal to the eye but are of no less marketable- 

 value than the edible qualities, provided that the latter are 

 not sacrificed to the former. The notions and whims of con- 

 sumers are numberless regarding these points and may be- 

 well or ill founded. But to discuss these details further 

 would lead us too far from the main purpose of this paper. 

 In regard to shipping and keeping quality we will speak later.. 



Before dropping this part of our discussion, we must touch 

 briefly upon some of those qualities that are undesirable. We 

 have overdeveloped flavor as in the case of excessive pun- 



