4 ESCULENT ROOTS. 



in height, tie them to stakes for support. The plants will 

 blossom in June and July, and the seeds will ripen in August. 



In harvesting, cut off the plants near the ground, and 

 spread them in a light and airy situation till they are suffi- 

 ciently dried for threshing, or stripping off the seeds ; after 

 which the seeds should be exposed, to evaporate any remain- 

 ing moisture. 



An ounce of seed will sow from one hundred to one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet of drill, according to the size of the variety ; 

 and about four pounds will be required for an acre. 



Use. Roots of medium size are generally to be preferred 

 for table use. When their growth has been rapid and 

 unchecked, they will be found succulent, free from fibre, and 

 of good quality. The deepest or brightest colors are most 

 esteemed. 



The young plants make an excellent substitute for spinach ; 

 and the leaves of some of the kinds, boiled when nearly full 

 grown, and served as greens, are tender and well-flavored. 



Some of the larger varieties are remarkably productive, and 

 are extensively cultivated for agricultural purposes. From a 

 single acre of land in good condition, thirty or forty tons are 

 frequently harvested ; and exceptional crops are recorded of 

 fifty, and even sixty tons. In France, the White Sugar-beet 

 is largely employed for the manufacture of sugar the 

 amount produced during one year being estimated to exceed 

 that annually made from the sugar-cane in the State of Lou- 

 isiana. 



For sheep, dairy-stock, and the fattening of cattle, experi- 

 ence has proved the beet to be at once healthful, nutritious, 

 and economical. 



Varieties. The varieties are quite numerous, and vary 

 to a considerable extent in size, form, color, and quality. 

 They are obtained by crossing, or by the intermixture of one 

 kind with another. This often occurs naturally when two 



