BET 



BET 



riety lately cullivated under tlic title of Racine 

 dc Dh'Jte^ Root of Scarcity or Mane,el Wurzcl. 

 Cullure. — All the differcnl species and va- 

 rieties of these plants are rafsed by sowing the 

 seeds in the earlv spring months, as from the 

 latter end of February to the middle of Aprd, for 

 summer crops, but the earlier the better, if the 

 season will admit ; and for suceessional crops, 

 cspeciallv in the white kind, some seed may be 

 put in occasionally in the sunmier months, till 

 llu: beginning of August. 



The most proper soils for plants of I he red 

 beet kind, are those of the more light deep rich 

 sort, which incline a little to a sandy nature, 

 suchasare adaptedtotho orowth of the carrot. In 

 preparing the land, it' should always be well dug 

 over to the depth of twelve or sixteen inches, a 

 little well-rotted stable dung being intimately 

 blended with the mould at the time, if manure 

 has not been applied for the preceding crop, 

 which is by much the best practice. The ground 

 should then be divided into beds of four or si.x 

 feet in breadth, and the surface raked even 

 for the reception of the seed, which may be put 

 in either by sowing it thinly over the surface, 

 and covering it by the rake, or in small shallow 

 drills, made at the distance of six or eight 

 inches from each other; but for the large-leaved 

 white sorts, considerably more, as from twelve 

 to eighteen inches or two feet, according to cir- 

 cumstances. But for some of these latter kinds 

 the ground need not be trenched over to so great 

 a depth as for the former, though it should al- 

 ways be stirred when the root is the principal 

 object, as is the case in the red sort, and occa- 

 sionally in some others. Deep digging is ab- 

 solutely necessary, as w ithont it the tap root is 

 apt to become short, and send offlateral fibres. 



It is sometimes the practice with market 

 gardeners, in order to save room, to sow these 

 crops with those of onions and other kinds that 

 are to be drawn out at an early period ; but this 

 should always, if possible, be avoided, as plants 

 of difl'erent sorts seldom succcc d well together, 

 or answer the purpose of the cultivator. 



In whichever method the sowing is performed, 

 great care should be taken when the plants rise, 

 which is mostly in the course of a month or six 

 weeks, and have formed leaves an inch or two in 

 breadth, to keep them perfectly clean, and thin- 

 ned out to sufficient distances by repeated hoe- 

 ing according to the kinds. By thus stirring the 

 earth about the roots of the plants, and keeping 

 them free from weeds, their growth is greatly 

 promoted as well in their roots as the leaves. 



The first sort is cultivated for the use of its 

 large red esculent root^ which in the common 



kind often attains considerable length and thick- 

 ness, and in some of the other varieties a still 

 greater thickness, but less length. They be- 

 come in a state of perfection and fit for culinarv 

 uses about September, or the following month ; 

 at which time some of them should be taken up, 

 and after having the lops trimmed off, without 

 injuring the crowns of the roots, be packed up 

 under cover in dry sand or earth, to preserve them 

 for the winter and early spring seasons. ^Vhcn 

 the soil is dry, they are however frequently let 

 remain in the ground to be drawn up as wanted. 

 The largest and deepest red sorts are held in 

 the most estimation, as being the most adapted 

 to the purposes for which they arc employed, 

 whether for boiling and slicing, to be eaten 

 alone or scraped, sliced in sallads, as a pickle, 

 or for garnishing different sorts of dishes. 



The common sort is chiefly cultivated as a 

 principal crop, the varieties being mostly sown 

 onlv in small portions. 



The latter species and varieties are in a great 

 measure cultivated for the use i>f their lar^-e suc- 

 culent leaves, which are employed in soups, and 

 boiled as spinach. In the large variety the 

 stems and ribs of the large leaves are often made 

 use of, after being stripped of the leafy part and 

 the external skin, in soups and for stewing, to 

 he eaten as asparagus. 



They usually become in perfection for these 

 purposes about the latter end of June, or in tlie 

 following month, and may be continued nearly 

 the year round by always carefully gathering the 

 large outward leaves, the others thereby coming 

 forward in succession, as well as further sup- 

 plies produced from the roots. 



The large Chard or Swiss variety is mostly 

 cultivated in the field as a cattle-food ; but may 

 be grown in the garden, either for its leaves o"- 

 the large roots : but with the latter view the 

 leaves should not be pulled off while the plants 

 are growing. 



In all the vsricties of these species, crops 

 must be raised annually in thespring ; as, though 

 they may be continued two years by cutting 

 down the seed-stems of the year-old plants as 

 they rise in the second spring, the leaves are lar 

 inferior in size and fleshy substance. 



For the purpose of procuring seed of the se- 

 veral species and varieties, some of the best and 

 most perfect plants of each sort shoiild be 

 marked, and left in tlic second spring to stand 

 and run up for seed ; being supported with 

 sticks during the sunmier, and gathered when 

 perfectly ripe and dry, in the beginning of tlia 

 autumn, as in September. 



BETULA, a genus comprehending different 



