CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



of both, by which, it will be seen, that they are 

 quite different 



Beet-root. Of beet there are two reputed species 

 in cultivation namely, the root-beets (Beta vul- 

 garis) and the leaf-beets (Beta ctcla), to which 

 may be added the sea-beet (Beta maritimd). Of 

 root-beets there are many varieties, but only those 

 having dark-coloured flesh are deemed garden 

 vegetables in this country. Of these the principal 

 are Belvoir Castle, Cattail's dwarf purple top, 

 mulberry, Nutting's dwarf red, Henderson's pine 

 apple, Bang's blood red, Williams' superb crim- 

 son, and Dell's dark crimson, the last being also 

 useful for flower - garden decoration, from the 

 beautiful metallic -like lustre of its deep purple 

 leaves. To grow these well, the ground ought 

 to be light and well pulverised, for the spindle- 

 root will be diverted if it meet with obstacles, and 

 become forked and distorted. Trench the plot 

 to the depth of eighteen inches, removing large 

 stones, roots, and hard clods of earth ; lay a 

 stratum of manure at the bottom of the trench, 

 in order to attract the root downward ; then 

 return the fine earth. Let the work be completed 

 before frosts set in, and at the middle or end of 

 March the seeds are to be sown in drills i^ to 

 2 inches deep, dropping them two or three 

 inches asunder. Cover with light fine earth, and 

 tread or beat the covering earth with the spade. 

 If the plants rise equally, thin them gradually, till 

 they stand from nine to twelve inches apart every 

 way, or even fifteen inches for the large-growing 

 sorts. Beet will transplant, but the operation 

 dwarfs the plants, and at best it is attended with 

 some risk. Keep the rows or beds entirely free 

 from weeds by hand-weeding or hoeing. Some 

 roots will be ready in September, and thence 

 throughout winter. In using them, or prior to 

 storing up during winter, cut off the straggling 

 leaves, being careful not to wound the roots ; they 

 keep well in dry sand, but become tainted if wet 

 straw or decomposable vegetable substances are 

 placed in contact with them. 



The Onion Tribe. 



This savoury class of kitchen vegetables com- 

 prises the onion, leek, garlic, and shallot, the former 

 two being by far the most important All are 

 natives of eastern countries ; but they grow to 

 great perfection in the British Islands. 



The Onion. For a crop of onions the soil 

 should be rich, light, deep, and well exposed to 

 the sun. Before sowing, work and enrich the bed 

 to the depth of eighteen inches. Sow the seeds 

 either broadcast or in shallow drills any time in 

 March, or even so late as the beginning of 

 April. Cover with fine sandy earth, and roll 

 the surface even. As the onions advance, thin 

 them out two to four inches apart, according 

 to the variety. Keep the ground quite free from 

 weeds. In September, twist the necks, take up 

 the crop when the leaves become yellow, and 

 expose the onions to sun and air under a shed till 

 they be externally quite dry. Sow again in the 

 first or second week of August ' winter onions,' for 

 using in the following spring and early summer. 

 The kinds are : Blood red, Danver's yellow, Dept- 

 ford, Globe, Giant Rocca, James' long-keeping, 

 Nuneham Park, Queen, Tripoli, White Lisbon, and 

 White Spanish. 



554 



The potato-onion is very valuable on account 

 of the heavy crop it produces. The tree-onion 

 is also no less useful than curious. These 

 are propagated by bulbs, as is also the Italian 

 pearl-onion a very distinct flat-leaved species 

 which produces clusters of pearl-like bulbs, varying 

 in size from that of small peas to small marbles, . 

 and is invaluable for pickling. 



The Leek, if properly treated in a favourable soil 

 and situation, grows to a very large size. It is 

 a plant which is much improved by proper trans- 

 plantation, but yet can be grown very well in 

 its seed-bed. The Musselburgh leek, with its 

 improved sub-varieties, Ayton Castle and Henry's 

 Prize, is the best ; but the London Flag is 

 still a favourite with some growers. Sow the 

 seeds in shallow drills at the close of February 

 or early in March, and cover them with half an 

 inch of fine soil ; as the plants grow, keep the 

 surface clear of weeds by hand-picking and pass- 

 ing the Dutch hoe lightly on each side of the 

 leeks. Presuming that they are thinned out at 

 first to stand three inches asunder, half of the 

 plants will remain, and the other half will be 

 removed to another situation. Thus the plants 

 in the seed-bed will stand six inches asunder, and 

 will be greatly assisted if the ground tie opened on 

 each side of them at the distance of nine inches, 

 and manured spit-deep. A crop of fine middle- 

 sized leeks will thus be obtained in the succeeding 

 autumn. 



To transplant leeks, prepare the ground at the 

 end of June, or early in July, by digging and 

 manuring the soil richly to the depth of a foot or 

 fifteen inches. Mark off the lines at widths of nine 

 to twelve inches, and make holes along them six 

 inches deep and as far apart. Collect a number 

 of the strongest leeks, trim off the straggling roots, 

 and all the suckers or offsets. Drop a small 

 handful of powdery manure, or reduced year-old 

 cow-dung, into each hole, place in it a leek, and 

 holding it by one hand, fill the hole with water. 

 The object is to fix the leek as in a case, to which 

 it can adapt itself, and which it will fully occupy, 

 becoming, under propitious circumstances, a plant 

 of large size and of most excellent quality. 



Garlic, one of the most pungent species of 

 Allium, is increased by dividing the bulbs into 

 cloves or smaller bulbs, and planting them in good 

 sandy loam at any period between the middle of 

 February and the end of April Draw drills two 

 inches deep, and ten inches apart, then press the 

 root-end of each clove firmly into the earth till it 

 stand erect ; let the distance between each be six 

 inches, and fill up the drills with fine sand. Keep 

 the ground free from weeds, and when the leaves 

 turn yellow which usually happens about the end 

 of July or the beginning of August take up the 

 bulbs with a trowel or handfork, and keep them in 

 a dry room. 



The Shallot is a native of Palestine ; its culture 

 may be the same as that of garlic, but some 

 prefer making three to four inch deep drills, and 

 filling them with rich soil, upon the top of which 

 the bulbs are set, and a little mound raised on 

 each side to support them till they become firmly 

 rooted. This is then removed by a hoe, and by 

 pouring water from the rose of a watering-pot, till 

 the bulb stand wholly out of the ground. Thus 

 they become mere surface bulbs, supported entirely 

 by the fibrous roots, which pass deeply beneath 



