An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



169 



Beet — contimced, 

 for Spinach. If desired, seeds may be sown in the way 

 described for Beetroot, in April for using in antnmn and 

 winter, and in Ang-nst for spring use, plants of the latter 

 sowing" being" protected in severe weather. The best sorts 

 are Red-stalked, Yellow-stalked, and White (see Fig. li'23) 

 or Silver Leaf. 



BEET CARRION BEETZ.X: {Silpha opaca). This 

 ilestructivo insect is frct^uently found in dead animals, 

 but often its grub almost destroys the leaves of Beet and 

 Mangold Wurzel crops. The grubs, which are black and 

 shining, when full grown are from gin. to A in. long ; the 

 three segments next the head are rounded at the sides, but 

 the other segments are sharp, and the tail segment has a 

 sharp spine on each side. " When full-fed, the grubs bury 

 themselves, and form cells at the depth of 3in. or -tin. 

 below the surface of the earth, in which they turn to pupa;, 

 and from these the Beetle has been seen to como up in 

 about the space of a fortnight or three weeks '* (Ormerod). 

 The Beetles are flattish, and about five lines long, brown- 

 black, with a tawny down ; eyes large and oval ; horns 

 club-shaped ; body somewhat oval ; wing-cases very flat, 

 turned up at the outer edge, each case having three sharp 

 ridges running along it ; tip of abdomen dull red. Any 

 manures or methods of cultivation that would stimulate 

 growth in the plants, so as to permit renovation of injuries, 

 would be found useful. If farmyard manure were applied 

 to the soil intended for Beet in ike aittitmn instead of in 

 spring, it would lessen the risk of attack to the Beets. 



BEETLES {Coleopfera). Beetles form one of the most 

 extensive orders of insects, there being upwards of 3000 

 known British species. They vary much in appearance, 

 but a Beetle is readily recognised by its front wings, or 

 elytra; these form a tough horny sheath or case, which 

 lies over the real wings, and protects them when the insect 

 is not flying. Sometimes, the elytra are very short (.see 

 Fig. 225) ; the mouth is fitted with jaws for cutting. 

 The metamorphosis is complete, i.e., the larva or grub 



Fio. 224. Common Garde.n Bektle. 



is very unlike either the quiescent pupa or the perfect 

 insect. The period that elapses before Beetles arrive at 

 their perfect state varies from a few weeks to two or 

 three years, but is usually rather longer than in Butterflies 

 or Bees. Various Beetles attack growing plants and roots. 

 Thus, Otiorhynchus sulcatus and 0. picipes attack Vines, 



Fig. 225. Devil's Coach Horse. 



Roses, and other plants, gnawing off the bark. Some 

 species of Beetles attack Mushrooms, while others baro 

 into the wood of old trees, or eat leaves (e.g. Turnip Fly), 

 or burrow in the loaves, or form galls on roots (Cabbage- 

 gall Weevil). Of some kinds, the beetles are hurtful ; of 



"BeetleB— continued. 

 others, the larvaj. Many kinds, however, are ber.eficial, 

 such, for instance, as the common Ground Beetle 

 {Carabas, Fig. 224), and the Devil's Coach Horse {Ocypua 



^mm 



Fig. 226. Sevkn-m^otxed 

 Laoviuko. 



Fig. 227. (iitmi of 1,ai»vbird. 

 (Kidarj^ed). 



olenf!. Fig. 225). These live upon other insects and 

 snails. One kind of Beetle — the Ladybird (see Figs. 22(j 

 and 227)— is very l>eneficial in a garden, as it preys upon 

 the aphides, or plant lice. For in.-itructions in dealing 

 with the noxious kinds, see Asparagus Beetle, Bean 

 Beetle, Beet Carrion Beetle, Click Beetle, Cock- 

 chafer, Lily Beetle, Rosechafer, and Turnip Fly, 



BEET or MANGOIiD TLT (Anthomyia helm). 

 Tlio maggots of this fly <lo C(msideral)le damage by feeding 

 on the pulp of the Beet or Mangold leaves. The eggs are 

 small, white, and oval, and are laid in small patches beneath 

 the leaves ; the maggots are about ^in. long, legless, cylin- 

 drical, and yellowish-white. As it is of such recent appear- 

 ance in this country, specifics for its eradication are by no 

 means numerous ; but, according to Miss Ormerod, " the 

 best treatment appears to be to nip it in the bud, where 

 such treatment is possible, by destroying the infested plants, 

 but generally by all means of good cultivation, or by special 

 applications of artificial manure, to ensure a hearty growth, 

 which may run the plants on past the power of average 

 atta'-ks to weaken the leafage to a serious extent." 



BEFAB.IA (named in honour of Bejar, a Spanish 

 botanist). Ohd. EHcacece. Syn. Bejaria. An elegant 

 genus of greenhouse evergreen shrubs, closely allied to 

 Rhododendron. Flowers bracteate ; corolla very deeply 

 seven-cleft, spreading. Leaves racemose or corymbose, 

 crowded, quite entire, coriaceous. They thrive in a com- 

 post of peat and loam. Propagated by cuttings, made of 

 the young wood, and placed in sandy soil, in gentle beat. 



B. £estuans (glowing).* Jl. purple; corymbs terminn,!, simple; 

 peduncles, pedicels, rachi, calyeeSj and Ipnmchlcts clothed with 

 clannuy glandular hairs, l. elliptic, rather y^lahrous above, but 

 downy and glaucous beneath, while youiiy; clothed with rusty 

 tonientuni. Plant much branched ; branchlets sub-vevticillate. 

 A. 10ft. tu IMt. Peru, 1846. Syn. Acunna oOlomia. (0.0.1848,119.) 



B. clnnamomea (cinnamon-coloured), fl. purple; panicles close, 

 teiiiiinal ; peiluncles woolly, hispid. (. slij;htly downy above, 

 ru^ty toiueutuse beneath. Branches downy, hispid, h. 4ft. Peru, 

 1847. 



B. coarctata (close-lieaded). Ji. purple; corymbs terminal, 

 simple ; peduncles, pedicels, rachi, and calyces clothed with rusty 

 toitientuni. I. nblonj;, glabrous, slaucous beneath. Shrub much 

 braucheil. A. 4ft. to 5ft. Peru, 1847. (G. C. 1848, 175.) 



B. glauca (glaucous).* Jl. flesh-coloured ; racemes terminal and 

 axillary ; peiiicels somewhat fastiy:iate. June. I. obbmg, obtuse, 

 jilaucuus heiieatb. Shrub much branched; branchlets angxdar. 

 h. 3ft. to 6ft. South America, 1826. 



B. ledlfolia (Letlum-leaved).* Ji. purple ; racemes terminal ; 

 peduncles, pedicels, rachi, branchlets, and calyces clothed with 

 clanmiy glandular hairs. L oblong, souiewluit mucrouate, with 

 revolute"edj;es, glaucous beneath, glandular. Shrub much 

 branched ; branches purplish. h. 3ft. to 4ft. South America, 

 1847. (F. d. S. 3, 195.) 



B. racemosa (racenied). Jl purple, disposed in racemose ter- 

 niiiial panicles. July. /. ovate-lanceolate, glabrous; branchlets 

 smooth ur hispid, h. 3ft. to 5ft. Georgia, 1810. 



BEGONIA (named after M. Begon, a French patron 

 of botany), Ord. Begoniacece. A largo genus of succu- 

 lent herbs or undershrubs (a few climbers), in many of 

 which the stem is reduced to a tuberous rhizome, whilst 

 some are distinctly tuberous. Flowers usually showy and 

 large, white, ruse, scarlet, or yellow, unisexual; perianth 

 segments petaloid, four to five divisions, rarely two. Sta- 

 mens numerous, fliamcnts free or united at tho base. 

 Ovary inferior, styles two to four, free, sometimes con- 

 nate, stigmas branched or twisted. Fruit capsular, rarely 

 succulent, often wiuged. Seeds numerous, minute. Leaves 



