86 



Commercial Gardening 



This crop is valuable to the market gardener for the two reasons, that 

 it provides a change to his land from the crops liable to club and because it 

 can be stored for winter trade. Beetroot likes well-manured, friable, fresh 

 and deeply moved soil. It is a capital crop to put in after spring greens, 

 provided the organization is capable of getting it in sharp, without losing 

 time. The plough and the drill should follow the cutters the same or, 

 at latest, the next day. Beet is sown in drills 1^ in. deep and 1 ft. apart. 

 The quantity of seed required to sow an acre, so as to make as sure as 

 possible of a full crop, is 20 Ib. A sowing of 5 cwt. of salt to the acre 

 before the seed is sown is considered a good thing, but stable manure 

 should not be used immediately before sowing Beet, because it is apt to 

 encourage the formation of " chumps ". 



Medium-sized Beet are most in favour in the London market, and 

 growers should fight shy of sorts with a family likeness to the Mangold. 

 One of the best Beets is the Cheltenham Green Top, although when this 

 has been saved too near a field of mangold seed there are many among 

 the roots too coarse for anything but the cow byre. To make sure, the 

 grower should save his own Beet seed. Let him pick out shapely medium- 

 sized roots in February or March and plant them in good soil, covering the 

 top with 2 or 3 in. of soil until the period of spring frosts is past, then 

 raking it off. One hundred roots ought to produce enough seed to sow 1 ac. 



When grown, a crop of Beet is 

 stored in pits or clamps in the same 

 manner as mangolds. The roots 

 should all be clamped by the end of 

 November. The clamps should not 

 be made too large, and should have 

 a good covering of mould over a 

 layer of clean straw. When the Beet 

 is kept right into the spring, holes 

 along the sides of the clamps should 

 be made as soon as the time for 

 growing induces the roots in the 

 clumps to make new tops, or else 

 heat will be engendered and many 

 roots be spoiled. [w. G. L.] 



6. BORECOLE 

 KALE 



OR 



Fig. 463. Tall Scotch Kale 



W T hat is popularly known as the 

 Scotch or Curly Kale is a useful hardy 

 winter vegetable, sown in seed beds in April or May, and can be planted 

 out up to middle August. It can be sent to market as soon as cold 

 weather whets the public appetite for green vegetables, and its season 



