THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 878, 28 December 1888, Page 18

THE GARDEN.

Climatic Influences upon Vegetables. C. L. ALLEN. The variation of plants through climatic influences is more marked than is generally supposed. In fact, climatic influences have more to do in changing tha obaracter of vegetable forms and properties than all other causes combined. No more striking instance of this need be noted than was shown in the production of the Belgian carrot. This affords a moat valuable and conclusive illus. tration, as it is one of the very few recorded instances where, by systematio effort, a wild plant has been so improved by cultivation and selection that from a worthless state it has developed into a vegetable, valuable either as a garden or field crop. The Belgian carrot is derived from Daucus Carota, the wild carrot, with small, dry, stioky roots of exceedingly high flavour. The history of its transformation is quite interesting and valuable, because the knowledge gained may assist in the development of other forms. The most distinguished naturalists of all countries have been industriously at work, during the past three hundred years, in experimenting with almost , all known genera of plants, in order to ascertain the parentage of our own cultivated vegetables and fruits. Among others, the wild oarrot received much attention. Among the many enthusi. asts in this branch of study was M. Pousard, a French scientist who had been very successful in improving the wild parsnip, but he utterly failed in his effort to ennoble the wild carrot. Decaisne, another oelebrated Fr9noh naturalist, after repeated trials with it gave it np in despair, and oame to the conclusion that the cultivated forms were especially created for the use of man. We are indebted to M. Vilmorin, the oelebrated French seedsman, for first developing the wild carrot. He gathered seeds from plants by the sea-side which he cultivated away from saline influences, and succeeded in obtaining perfectly tender, edible roots, of large size, and perfectly smooth, in four generations, a variety whioh is to-day known as the ‘ White Belgian Carrot.’ While his efforts were perfectly successful from seeds grown by the sea-side, he could not effect any change with seeds gathered from plants that grew inland. A further valuable illustration of this principle is shown in the origin of the ‘ Student Parsnip,’ as it shows the facility with which various vegetables and 'flowers may be procured, as well as the strong traits of character that favourable conditions will engender. In 1847 Prof. Buckman gathered from the Cotswold Hills, which are noted for their hard, gravelly, clay loam and generally barren aspect, some seeds of the wild parsnip, where this is among the most'frequent of weeds. This seed was sown in the usual manner in the spring of 1848. As the plants grew they were duly thinned out, leaving for the crop, ob far as it could be done, the specimens that had leaves with the broadest divisions, lightest colour, and fewest hairs. The first crop of roots from this wild seed presented great diversities in shape, being for the most part Oven more forked than the originals, but still with a general tendenoy to fleshiness. Of these the best were reserved for seeding. The seed produced in 1849 was sown in 1850, the crop showing still greater improvement, not only In shape but in fleshiness. These experiments were carried on from year to year nntil 1859, when the variety had become so perfeot In form, clear in outline, delicate in skin, and unexceptionable in flavour, that Piof. Buckman was induced‘by the Messrs Sutton of London to have it distributed through their medium, and by them it was given the name Student, which seemed an appropriate one, as it was the resnlt of a studious effort on the part of him who was a most persistent student in every department of agriculture. It is olaimed, and we think justly, that this variety is more constant, or less liable to deteriorate, under unfavourable circumstances, than any other under cultivation. If so, it shows plainly that the work of selection was wisely and faithfully performed.