If the season is long, and early varieties are planted, the roots may send up flower stalks the first year. In such cases the carrot is an annual. The late varieties are biennial. The roots of the wild plants are slender and woody, but those of cultivated varieties vary greatly in every particular. They may be pointed or blunt; long, half-long, short or globular; the flesh may be white, yellow or purple. Goff (N. Y. Sta. Rep. 1887, p. 133) made the following classification:

A. Root distinctly pointed.

B. Root long, the length exceeding four times the diameter.

C. White, cc. Yellow, ccc. Orange or red, cccc. Purple.

BB. Root half-long, length not exceeding four times the diameter.

(Color divisions) AA. Root distinctly premorse, or blunt at the lower end.

(Root and color divisions) Professor Goff classified 28 varieties, the following groups embracing the most important:

(1) Early Short Scarlet, Early Scarlet Horn, are popular, very early short-rooted varieties.

(2) Chantenay or Model, Danvers Half-Long Orange, Half-Long Scarlet, Oxheart and Rubicon are largely planted as medium early varieties.

(3) Long Orange is the leading late, long-rooted variety.

(4) White Belgian is a large-rooted sort grown and valued for stock feeding.