BED 



85 



BEE 



the hole. If water is necessary after- j introduced into this country within a 



wards, hoe the beds when dry enough 

 Damp the leaves, if no appearance of 

 dew. — Gard. Chron. The following are 

 good plants for bedding out in masses : 

 — For large beds. Pelargoniums, espe- 

 cially the scarlet, Fuchsias and Pen 



few years ; those who have cultivated 

 it <;ive it a high character, and consider 

 it fully e(iual to asparagus. 



" The Mangold Wurtzel is principally 

 grown for stock. It is, however, very 

 early, rapid in its growth, and tolerably 



stcmon gentianoidcs coccineus. For good for table use when young and 



smaller beds. Petunia superba, beauty, tender. It might, therefore, be an object 



and splendens; Gailardia picta ; CEno- with such as are particularly fond of 



thera Drummondii; Verbena astrosan- beets, to sow a small quantity of this 



guinea, Bishopii, Taglionii, and Queen ; ■ species for an early crop. As food for 

 and Lobelia splendens. 



BEDKGUAR. See Cynips Rosa. 



stock, especially milch cows, it is 

 scarcely surpassed, and the product is 



BEE, (Apis.) All the species of this enormous 

 insect are friendly to the gardener, for " Silesian or Sugar. — The Sugar Beet 

 they all aid in impregnating his flowers, has had great popularity as food for 

 many of which without their aid would stock, and though not now as generally 

 fall unproductive of either fruit or seed. ; grown by our farmers as formerly, has 

 The honey bee (.4. vielUfiai) is the most many advocates who claim for it great 

 active in this operation ; but the humble j merit, and attribute the failure of others 

 bee {Bombits apis), and others of the to injudicious feeding. They argue that 

 robust species, are very valuable, being roots, during cold weather, should only 

 able to visit flowers in rough weather, be given in moderate quantities, and 

 when the honeybee will not venture always with a little bran or meal ; — that 



from its hive 



BEECH. Fagus. 



the cows should be fed in comfortable 

 quarters. Such treatment, it is con- 



BEET. Betterave, Fr. Rothe Rube,) tended, will produce satisfactory re- 

 Ger. Acelgas, Span. Barba Biettola, \ suits, which could hardly be expected 

 ItaL " The Red Beet is a native of the from roots frequently given in a frozen 

 sea-coast of the south of Europe. It state, the animal exposed to the cold, 

 was cultivated in England in 1656, and and without anything to counteract the 



then called beet rave, (or beet-radish,) 

 from the French name, betterave. 



" The long red or blood, is generally 

 used for the winter supply, and the ex- 

 tra early, and early turnip-rooted, for 

 the summer. The extra early turnip- 



scouring tendency of the roots. 



" All Beets do best when planted in 

 rows, as they then admit of hoeing and 

 more thorough cleaning. The rows 

 twelve or fourteen inches apart, the 

 plants in the rows not nearer than four 



rooted has been lately introduced from inches. It is advisable to sow the seed 



Italy — its growth is astonishingly ra- thicker than that, and when the plants 



pid ; it should always be planted for arc two inches higii, thin them to the 



the first crop, and the old turnip-rooted proper distance. 



to succeed. " The seed is usually sown in a shal- 



" There are several other kinds culti- I low drill, drawn by the hoe, and co- 



vated, but the foregoing are the best vcred to the depth of an inch. For 



known ; and being both early and late, the early crops plant early in spring, on 



are beyond question amply sufficient. 

 " White Beet. This is a hardy bien 



warm sheltered border. The com- 

 mencement of summer is sufficiently 



nial plant, with leaves larger than the [ early to sow those intended for the 

 red beet, and very thick and succulent, winter supply. Should the weather be 

 It is a native of the sea coasts of Spain dry when about to sow at that season, 

 and Portugal. «< It is cultivated in gar- pour scalding water on the seed, and 

 dens entirely for the leaves, which are ; let them soak 24 to 48 hours, and roll 



boiled as spinnage, or put in soups. 

 Those of the great white, or sweet beet. 



in the seed. 



The Beet requires rich ground, and 



are esteemed for the mid ribs and stalks, like all tap-rooted plants, delights in 

 which are separated from the lamina of a deep loose soil. Throughout their 

 the leaf, and stewed and eaten as aspa- growth they demand occasional hoeing 

 ragus, under the name of chard." The between the rows, and freedom from 

 great white, or Swiss chard, has been weeds. 



