No. 33.] 311 
Brrr, 
On September 16 we examined the roots of a plant of the Extra 
Long Dark Blood beet. The main root was smooth and symmetri- 
cal to the depth of eight inches, below which it divided into several 
branches, which were quite thick at first, but rapidly tapered to the 
size of a stalk of timothy grass, tapering gradually thereafter until 
they become fibrous roots. One of the longer ones extended two 
feet downward, while horizontal branches, which were mostly shal- 
low in the soil, extended a distance of two and a half feet. The 
small fibrous roots seen on the surface of beet roots after they are 
pulled scem to have very little office, as they penetrate the soil 
scarcely half an inch. ‘The feeding roots chiefly proceed from the 
tap root, below the thickened portion. Fibrous roots from the. 
branches often extend upward apparently to the surface of the 
ground. | | 
The root system of the Kclipse beet, which is a turnip-rooted 
variety, growing largely above ground, is precisely similar in kind 
but slightly less extensive. We traced the roots downward about 
twenty-two inches, and horizontally a distance otf two feet. 
We thus see that the beet plant draws its nourishment from an 
area of twelve to twenty square feet, and hence it is evident that 
where size of root is desired, the plants must be given plenty of room. 
Swiss CHARD. 
_ The root system of the Swiss Chard is decidedly more extensive 
than that of the garden beet. On September 16 we traced a branch 
from a plant of Beck’s Sea Kail Chard, horizontally, a distance of 
three and a half feet, and the tap root, at the depth of two feet, was 
of the thickness of a wheat straw. The tap root and larger branches 
were thick and fleshy near the surface, the former regularly taper- 
ing as it extended downward, giving rise to branches on all sides. 
Some of the latter were three-fourths of an inch in diameter, the 
larger ones starting about four inches below the surface. Fibrous 
roots were numerous in the upper layers of the soil. | 
The chard is a plant of the beet family in which the foliage in- 
stead of the root has been developed through selection. It is inter- 
esting to observe that with a decided increase of foliage over the 
common garden beet, we have a corresponding extension of roots. 
PARSNIP. 
In the parsnip the tap root is very long, and tapers very slowly 
after the first fewinches in depth. Ina plant of the Long Hollow 
Crown variety, examined September 17, we traced the tap root 
downward a distance of-thirty inches, beyond which it was too deli- 
eate to follow. Branches leave the tap root throughout its length, 
many starting out below the clay line. One of these, at a depth of 
two feet, we followed a distance of seven inches through very stiff 
