VEGETABLE GROWING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 43 



The position should be a sunny one, and, for household plots, rows 12 

 inches apart are sufficient. For commercial culture the rows should be 

 spaced not less than 15 inches apart, and even up to 30 inches. The seed 

 as purchased is fairly large and has a corky appearance ; this is really the 

 seed fruit which contains several seeds. The germination is sometimes 

 disappointing, but this is mostly due to faulty sowing. Should the surface 

 soil be dry and light in texture, the seed must be planted deep in order to 

 reach the moisture, but if damp, a depth of about 1 inch is sufficient. To 

 get 'the moisture through the corky covering of the seed is always very 

 difficult, and to overcome this it is usual to soak the seed overnight previous 

 to planting. Where possible the seed should be spaced about 1 inch apart 

 in the drills and thinned to at least 4 or 6 inches apart, according to the 

 variety. When young, the plants can be transplanted if carefully handled 

 so as not to interfere with the roots, but this course is only recommended 

 where there are wide spaces in the rows as the result of faulty germination ; 

 the plants from the thicker portions of the field may then be utilised for this 

 purpose. The crop needs little attention other than cultivation to keep 

 down weeds and a sufficient supply of moisture. The roots can be used for 

 household purposes as soon as they are large enough, but they should not be 

 forwarded to market until more fully developed. In marketing, neither 

 roots nor tops should be trimmed. 



Great care must be exercised in harvesting, as bruising or breaking of the 

 tap root is a serious drawback, causing bleeding to take place in cooking, 

 which leaves the vegetable very pale in colour. The beet is rich in sugar, 

 and if allowed to bleed a large quantity of this constituent is also lost. In 

 cooking, if the utensil is large enough it is always advisable to allow the 

 tops to remain, but if the vessel will not permit of this, screwing off the tops 

 is preferable to cutting them. 



The long varieties are not favoured by housewives on account of the 

 difficulty of accommodating them in ordinary pots ; for this reason the 

 turnip-rooted sorts are more popular. Varieties recommended are : Eclipse, 

 Egyptian, Crimson Globe, and Electric. 



Silver Beet or Silver Spinach. 



This is a variety of beet-roo, the leaves of which have been developed for 

 culinary purposes. The cultivation is identical with that of ordinary beet, 

 except that the plant should be spaced at a distance of not less than 15 

 inches apart. The leaves are used as required, and are boiled and minced 

 the same as ordinary spinach. 



Plants are raised in boxes or seed beds and transplanted to the garden. 

 The leaves are pulled from the plant throughout the summer, those showing 

 a broad fleshy midrib being the most suitable. 



Diseases and Pests. This vegetable is attacked chiefly by the same diseases 

 as cabbage, <fcc. For full list see page 47. 



