AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



169 



Beet continued. 



for Spinach. If desired, seeds may be sown in the way 

 described for Beetroot, in April for using in autumn and 

 winter, and in Aug-ust for spring use, plants of the latter 

 sowing being protected in severe weather. The best sorts 

 are Bed-stalked, Yellow-stalked, and White (see Fig. 223) 

 or Silver Leaf. 



BEET CARRION BEETLE (Silpha opaca). This 

 destructive insect is frequently found in dead animals, 

 but often its grub almost destroys the leaves of Beet and 

 Mangold Wnrzel crops. The grubs, which are black and 

 shining, when full grown are from in. to 4 in. long ; the 

 three segments next the head are rounded at the aides, but 

 the other segments are sharp, and the tail segment has a 

 sharp spine on each side. " When full-fed, the grubs bury 

 themselves, and form cells at the depth of Sin. or 4in. 

 below the surface of the earth, in which they turn to pupae, 

 and from these the Beetle has been seen to come up in 

 about the space of a fortnight or three weeks " (Ormerod). 

 The Beetles are flattish, and about five lines long, brown- 

 black, with a tawny down; eyes large and oval; horns 

 club-shaped; body somewhat oval; wing-cases very flat, 

 turned up at the outer edge, each case having three sharp 

 ridges running along it; tip of abdomen dull red. Any 

 manures or methods of cultivation that would stimulate 

 growth in the plants, so as to permit renovation of injuries, 

 would be found useful. If farmyard manure were applied 

 to the soil intended for Beet in the autumn instead of in 

 spring, it would lessen the risk of attack to the Beets. 



BEETLES (Coleoptera). Beetles form one of the most 

 extensive orders of insects, there being upwards of 3000 

 known British species. They vary much in appearance, 

 but a Beetle is readily recognised by its front wings, or 

 elytra; these form a tough horny sheath or case, which 

 lies over the real wings, and protects them when the insect 

 is not flying. Sometimes, the elytra are very short (see 

 Fig. 225) ; the mouth is fitted with jaws for cutting. 

 The metamorphosis is complete, i.e., the larva or grub 



FIG. 224. COMMON GARDEN BEETLE. 



is very unlike either the quiescent pupa or the perfect 

 insect. The period that elapses before Beetles arrive at 

 their perfect state varies from a few weeks to two or 

 three years, but is usually rather longer than in Butterflies 

 or Bees. Various Beetles attack growing plants and roots. 

 Thus, Otiorhynchut sulcatus and 0. picipes attack Vines, 



Fia. 225. DEVIL'S COACH HORSK. 



Roses, and other plants, gnawing off the bark. Some 

 species of Beetles attack Mushrooms, while others bore 

 into the wood of old trees, or eat leaves (e.g. Turnip Fly), 

 or burrow in the leaves, or form galls on roots (Cabbage- 

 gall Weevil). Of some kinds, the beetles are hurtful; of 



BetlM continued. 



others, the larvae. Many kinds, however, are beneficial, 

 such, for instance, as the common Ground Beetle 

 (Carabut, Fig. 224), and the Devil's Coach Horse (Ocypu* 



Fio. 226. SEVEN-SPOTTED fia. 227. GRUB OF LADYBIRD. 



LADYBIRD. (Enlarged). 



olens, Fig. 225). These live upon other insects sad 

 snails. One kind of Beetle the Ladybird (see Figs. 226 

 and 227) is very beneficial in a garden, as it preys upon 

 the 'aphides, or plant lice. For instructions in dealing 

 with the noxious kinds, see Asparagus Beetle, Bean 

 Beetle, Beet Carrion Beetle, Click Beetle, Cock- 

 chafer, Lily Beetle, Rosechafer, and Turnip Fly. 

 BEET or MANGOLD PLY (Anthomyia betas). 

 The maggots of this fly do considerable damage by feeding 

 on the pulp of the Beet or Mangold leaves. The eggs are 

 small, white, and oval, and are laid in small patches beneath 

 the leaves ; the maggots are about Jin. long, legless, cylin- 

 drical, and yellowish- white. As it is of such recent appear- 

 ance in this country, specifics for its eradication are by no 

 means numerous ; but, according to Miss Ormerod, " the 

 best treatment appears to be to nip it in the bud, where 

 such treatment is possible, by destroying the infested plants, 

 but generally by all means of good cultivation, or by special 

 applications of artificial manure, to ensure a hearty growth, 

 which may run the plants on past the power of average 

 attacks to weaken the leafage to a serious extent." 



BEFABJA (named in honour of Bejar, a Spanish 

 botanist). OED. Ericaceae. SYN. Bejaria. An elegant 

 genus of greenhouse evergreen shrubs, closely allied to 

 Rhododendron. Flowers bracteate; corolla very deeply 

 seven-cleft, spreading. Leaves racemose or corymbose, 

 crowded, quite entire, coriaceous. They thrive in a com- 

 post of peat and loam. Propagated by cuttings, made of 

 the young wood, and placed in sandy soil, in gentle heat. 

 B. SMtuans (glowing).* JL purple; corymbs terminal, simple; 

 peduncles, pedicels, rachi, calyces, and branchlets clothed with 

 dammy glandular hairs. L elliptic, rather glabrous above, but 

 downy and glaucous beneath, while young clothed with rusty 

 tomentum. Plant much branched; branchlets sub-verticillate. 

 A. 10ft to 15ft Peru, 1846. SYN. Aeunna oblonga. (O. C. 1848, 119.) 

 >urple; panicles close, 

 lightly downy above, 



terminal ; 



a-coloured). /I. purple ; panicles close, 



_ roolly, hispid. I slightly downy above, 



fusty tom'entose beneath. Branches downy, hispid. A. 4ft. Peru, 



(close-headed). JL purple; corymbs terminal, 

 a, pedicels, rachi, and calyces clothed with rusty 

 tomentum. L oblong, glabrous, glaucous beneath. Shrub much 

 branched, A. 4ft toBft Pern, 1847. (O. C. 1848, 175.) 

 B. glanca (glaucous).* JL flesh-coloured ; racemes terminal and 

 axillary ; pedicels somewhat fastigiate. June. L oblong, obtuse, 

 glaucous beneath. Shrub much branched ; branchleta angular. 

 AY3ft to 6ft South America, 1826. 



B. ledifolia (Ledum-leaved).* JL purple ; racemes terminal ; 

 peduncles, pedicels, rachi, branchlete, and calyces clothed with 

 clammy glandular hairs, J. oblong, somewhat mucronate, with 

 revolute edges, glaucous beneath, glandular. Shrub much 

 branched ; branches purplish. A. 3ft to 4ft South America, 

 1847. (F. d. S. 3, 195.5 



B, racemosa (racemed). JL purple, disposed in racemose ter- 

 urinal panicles. July. I. ovate-lanceolate, glabrous; branchleta 

 smoothorhispid. A. 3ft to 5ft Georgia, 1810. 

 BEGONIA (named after M. Begon, a French patron 

 of botany). OBD. Begoniacece. A large genus of succu- 

 lent herbs or undershrubs (a few climbers), in many of 

 which the stem is reduced to a tuberous rhizome, whilst 

 some are distinctly tuberous. Flowers usually showy and 

 large, white, rose, scarlet, or yellow, unisexual ; perianth 

 segments petaloid, four to five divisions, rarely two. Sta- 

 mens numerous, filaments free or united at the base. 

 Ovary inferior, styles two to four, free, sometimes con- 

 nate, stigmas branched or twisted. Fruit capsular, rarely 

 succulent, often winged. Seeds numerous, minute. Leaves 



