Raising Vegetables for Canning 1565 



Soil and its preparation. — The best soil for beets is a sandy loam that 

 contains a large amount of plant-food in the form of hiimus from well- 

 rotted manure or from green crops plowed under. Manure, if used, should 

 be applied at the rate of about ten to fifteen tons or more per acre, and 

 should be well rotted, for fresh manure has a tendency to increase scab. 



The soil should be plowed as deeply and as thoroughly as possible — from 

 six to seven inches is none too deep — ■ and it should be harrowed very fre- 

 quently until it is fine. Some growers practice the back-furrowing method 

 of preparing the ground, which is as follows: The soil is plowed in the 

 fall or very early in the spring to the depth of from six and one-half to 

 seven inches or more, and, after a short time and just before the crop is 

 planted, it is plowed a second time four inches deep. It is better to begin 

 the plowing in the middle of the garden or the field. The furrows should be 

 thrown against each other, that is, as the plow moves from north to south, 

 the first furrow is thrown toward the west, and as the plow returns from 

 south to north, the second furrow is thrown toward the east, or against 

 the first furrow. Hand raking may be begun after four fuiTows have been 

 turned, and all coarse material should be raked into the dead furrows. 

 If the work of plowing and raking has been done careftilly, the topsoil 

 to the depth of four inches will be in fine condition for planting or culti- 

 vation. Back furrowing is one of the best intensive methods of crop 

 production, and, although it is expensive, it is justified by the returns re- 

 ceived from the crops grown. If back furrowing is not practiced, and 

 if very fine soil is desired, plowing may be followed by harrowing with the 

 disk, the spike-tooth, and the Meeker harrows, which will level and fine 

 the soil and leave it in good condition for planting. 



Varieties. — Probably the variety of beets grown more for canning than 

 any other is Detroit Dark Red; however, Crosby Improved Egyptian and 

 Edmand's Blood Turnip are good sorts for this purpose. Just as in the 

 case of bean seed, there is a variation in the beet seed from different seeds- 

 men, for some give special attention to the improvement of this crop. In 

 buying seed, growers should take advantage of this work in seed selection. 



Time and methods of planting. — Owing to the fact that most persons 

 wish to do all their canning at one time, it is sometimes advisable not to 

 plant beets until late in the spring. They may, however, be planted 

 any time from May to August. They are ready for use from sixty to 

 eighty-five days after planting, and the date of planting should be governed, 

 therefore, by the time one desires to can the beets. . 



Beet seed is generally sown in drills. If the beets are to be cultivated 

 by horse power, the rows should be from twenty-four to thirty-!;ix inches 

 apart; btit if they are to be ctiltivated by hand, from twelve to twenty- 

 four inches is sufficient. In both cases the seed should be planted not 



