During- Queen Victoria's Reign. 7 



BEET. 



Salads are much more popular now than they were sixty years ago, and as Beet, 

 perhaps, comes next in importance to the Cucumber and Lettuce, the natural 

 result has been a marked improvement in the varieties grown. In the early days 

 of the Queen's reign, Dwarf Eed, Large Red, and Turnip-rooted were the sorts in 

 use. Seeing how difficult it is to obtain seed which will produce absolutely uniform 

 results in colour of leaf, &c., it was a happy idea on the part of the seed-seller of 

 those days to protect himself by labelling the packets with such comprehensive 

 names. It is quite certain that even now the description Large Red would be very 

 applicable to strains frequently seen growing. In 1841 Whyte's Black was intro- 

 duced, a variety almost black in the flesh, but inclined to be coarse in texture as 

 well as strong in growth, and with considerable variation in the colour of leaf. 

 Notwithstanding these faults, it is still to be found in nearly all seed lists, and 

 presumably, therefore, has its admirers. Of late years a large number of improved 

 types of this class have been seen, and those who fancy Beets with flesh almost 

 black have no lack of choice. 



Later introductions which remain popular are Nutting's Dwarf, Pine Apple, and 

 Dell's Black-leaved. From the first and last various selections have been made, 

 resulting in uniform and excellent types. 



Within recent years Cheltenham Green-top has also come to the front, although 

 I understand it has long been grown in the neighbourhood from which it takes its 

 name. It is an excellent Beet, though disliked by some on account of the colour 

 of the leaves. The Turnip-rooted, so useful for shallow soils, has undergone great 

 improvement, the flat type, called Egyptian, being almost superseded in English 

 gardens by the introduction in 1891 of Sutton's Globe, which is as perfect inform 

 and clean in growth as a Snowball Turnip. Many types of Globe Beet have also 

 been introduced from America, but generally speaking the colour of the flesh is not 

 up to the English standard. 



A White Beet, called Bassano, was grown in the thirties, but it never became very 

 popular. In recent years efforts have been made to popularise a yellow-fleshed 

 kind, but although I can vouch for the excellent flavour of this Beet, the general 

 public do not appreciate it. 



THE BRASSICAS. CABBAGE. 



First and foremost in point of general utility comes the Cabbage. Although 

 our forefathers had not so long a list of names to select from as gardeners now have, 

 there were several good Cabbages in 1837. Chief among these were Early Battersea, 

 Early York, Large York, Emperor, Sugarloaf, &c., names which still retain a place 

 in all seed lists, and these varieties are certainly valuable for spring sowing. It is 

 reasonable to suppose that the crops of those days suffered from " bolters," and 

 with none but these and similar sorts to grow the probability is that an even bed 

 of Spring Cabbage would be the exception, as they are all peculiarly liable to bolt. 

 Of late years much has been done to avoid this tendency, and we now have such 

 Cabbages as Ellam's Early, Early Offenham, Imperial, Flower of Spring and Early 



