28 | ASSEMBLY 
We may mention as a parenthesis in order to show the force of the 
motive impressed upon the plant by man that parallelism of certain 
forms is to be found between various orders, genera and species of 
plants, according as man’s effort has been equally directed toward 
similarity of produce, as for illustration, between the forms of roots 
when the root-portion is the part desired ; in the form of stems © 
when the stem-portion is the part used ; in the form of foliage when 
the foliage is the part in esteem ; in the form of fruit when form has 
value to man, etc., etc. 
It is very desirable to know somewhat of the order of changes which 
have occurred in agricultural plants, and to determine what forms are 
the least, and what forms have been the most modified by human 
agencies ; to determine the successive stages of improvement in order 
to derive lessons which shall teach us how to go to work to initiate 
new changes which shall accomplish a desired result ; and to recog- 
nize the resting places in form, which resting places can be adapted 
for purposes of grouping. 
We will illustrate our meaning by bringing together a few of our 
conclusions regarding certain of our cultivated vegetables. 
The roots principally grown in our gardens are the beet, carrot, 
parsnip, radish, salsify, scorzonera and turnip. Of these the parsnip, 
salsify and scorzonera are evidently but little improved from the wild 
state, the latter two scarcely at all. 
If we critically examine the varieties of these roots we shall find a 
common variation from the wild form, where known, in the smoothing 
and enlarging of the root and the freeing from forking and branching. 
Salsify and scorzonera are examples of this stage. This improvement 
seems to have been generally attained, and to have but little special 
significance, except as indicating plants grown freed from competition 
and on rich soil. The common parsnip, for instance, when allowed 
to grow as a weed, becomes the wild parsnip of the botany, the roots 
becoming branched and diminished in size. 
The first stage of improvement in vegetable roots seems to be in the 
enlarging of the base of the root in excess in diameter over the stem, 
and in obtaining a conical shape the fleshy portion tapering to the 
extremity, and in its improved sub-sections exhibiting a fusiform, 
spheroidal or almost cylindrical shape to the enlarged portions. ‘This 
type finds representation in varieties of the beet, carrot, turnip, pars- 
nip, radish and other less cultivated vegetables. This type may be 
called tap-rooting. 
The second stage of improvement seems to be when there is a dis- 
tinction gained between the swollen portion and the root, the root 
proper starting abruptly from the flattish surface of the fleshy swollen 
portion. Within this type we have spherical and ellipsoidal, more or 
less flattened, or even hollowed forms, occurring in varieties of the 
beet, carrot, radish and ae This type may be called the caudate 
or tailed. 
A third stage of improvement is when the lower part of the fleshy 
root is abruptly ended, as if bitten off, and contains cylindrical and 
tankard shaped forms, Representatives are to be found in varieties of 
the carrot, turnip and radish. This type may be called the premorse, 
or bitten off. 
Various anomalous and less improved types occur, which, with our 
