BEET 



BEGONIA 



141 



roots, the latter frequently rising some distance out of 

 the ground : rather coarse-grained. Extensively grown 

 for stock-feeding. 



3. Sugar Beets. Sometimes said to belong to another 

 species, but doubtless to be classified here. Rather 

 small-growing varieties, with medium tops : roots 

 small to medium, usually fusiform, smooth, nearly 

 always yellowish or whitish. 



4. Chard, or Swiss Chabd. Varieties with compara- 

 tively large tops, broad leaf-blades and very large, suc- 

 culent leaf-stems, which are cooked and eaten somewhat 

 like asparagus. The thrifty, tender young Ivs. make a 

 very excellent pot-herb. Chard has sometimes been re- 

 ferred to a separate species. Beta Cicla, but should be 

 included with S. vntgaris. See Chftrd. 



5. Foliage Beets. A race which has been developed 

 to produce luxuriant foliage of many colors and varied 

 markings. Of such varieties are the Brazilian, Chilian, 

 Victoria, and Dracaena-leaved. The ribs of the Ivs. are 

 usually beautifully colored. Where the leaf-blight fungus 

 is not serious, these foliage Beets make excellent bor- 

 ders where strong and heavy effects are desired, and 

 the}' are excellent for bedding. Raised from seeds, as 

 other Beets are ; roots may be kept over winter. 



The Beet is not often damaged by insects. It is 

 sometimes attacked by rust, rot, spot-diseases, and 



202. Long Blood Beet. 



scab, of which the last is the worst. The scab is the 

 same disease which attacks the potato, and one of the 

 chief precautious is, therefore, to avoid following pota- 

 toes with Beets. For the most part, clean culture and 

 proper rotations will forestall serious injury from plant 

 diseases. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture may be ex- 

 pected to prevent the leaf diseases. — , .-, 



BEGONIA (named after M. Begon). Begonidieir. 

 Elephant's Ear. Beefsteak Geranium. A large ge- 

 nus of very popular and useful plants for the house, 

 conservatory and garden. Succulent herbs or under- 

 shrubs, having the steiu in some cases reduced to a thick 

 rhizome, in others to a distinct small tuber, while a few 

 others possess a semi-tuber, in which there are a num- 

 ber of closely set scales or suppressed Ivs., resembling 

 bulbs : Ivs. variable, alternate, more or less unequal- 

 sided, entire, or lobed, or toothed, ovate-acuminate, or- 

 bicular or peltate : lis. usually in axillary cymes, monoe- 

 cious, large ; males usually with 4 petals, females with 

 5 (rarely 2), pink, white, rose, scarlet, yellow, and all 

 shadesof these, beingrepresented ; stamens numerous ; 

 filaments free or united at the base ; styles 2 or 4, free, 

 sometimes connate ; stigmas branched or twisted like a 

 corkscrew ; fr. usually a 3-winged capsule, which is 

 often colored ; ovary inferior ; seeds numerous, very 

 minute. The first Begonia was introduced into England 

 in 1777. Since then, out of the 350 species known, about 

 150 have proved of value to the horticulturist. Few 

 other plants have been improved so rapidly, there being 

 thousands of varieties now in cult., displaying the most 

 gorgeous colors in their lis. and beauty and coloring 



in their Ivs. Their geographical distribution is very dis- 

 junctive and localized. They are indigenous to Mex., 

 Cent, and .S. Amer., Asia, and S. Afr. They seem to 

 have no genetic relationship with other plants now 

 living. For literature, see Dryander, The Genus Be- 

 gonia, Trans, of the Linn. Soc, Vol. 1, 1789 ; Klotzsch, 

 IJegoniaceen-Gattungen und Arten, 12 plates, 1855 ; De- 

 Candolle's Prodromus, 15, 1804; Ravenscroft, B.C., Be- 

 gonia Culture for Amateurs, 1894 ; Wynne, Tuberous 

 Begonias. 



The Begonias now in cult, may be roughly divided 

 into four sections or groups : 



I. Fibrous-rooted, or Winter-flowering. 



Nos. 1-71. 

 II. Se.mi-tuberous, or Socotrana. 



Nos. 72-76. 



III. Tuberous, or Summer-floweeing. 



Nos. 77-99. 



IV. Rex, or Ornamental-leaved. 



Nos. 100-103. 



In the following account, the dates refer to intro- 

 duction into cultivation, not into American trade. They 

 are European dates. p, b_ Kennedy. 



There are four sections of the Begonia family, and as 

 each requires somewhat different directions for their 

 cultivation, it is desirable to treat them separately. The 

 first section, the Fibrous-rooted, comprises such varie- 

 ties as B, nitida, semperflorens, var. gigaiitea rosea, 

 atbo-plcfa, ffaageana , and Dnchartrei. Cuttings taken 

 from clean, healthy stems will strike readily in an ordi- 

 nary propagating box or bench, and if potted-on. as 

 they require root-room, will make fine plants for late 

 winter- and spring-flowering. As soon as one neglects 

 good treatment, especially in regard to light, fresh air 

 and fresh soil, the red spider, a physiological disease 

 appearing like rust, and the dreaded nematodes, will 

 soon attack them and give them a sickly and stunted 

 appearance. They require a temperature of from 55-60° 

 at night and 65-70° in the day time. The plants should 

 be kept close to the glass during the early stages of 

 their growth, on accountof the tendency of many of the 

 varieties to send out rather long shoots. A compost of 

 3 parts good loam, I part well-rotted manure, and 1 

 part sand, will be found very suitable for their growth. 

 While Begonias in general are injured by too strong 

 sunshine during summer, they are benefited by all the 

 sunshine they can get during the winter and early spring 

 months. Strong sunshine, however, pouring through 

 imperfect glass upon wet foliage, is apt to blister the 

 leaves of any Begonia. Such varieties as B. Dregei and 

 Weltoniensis, which produce at their base a thickened, 

 fleshy stem like a potato, may be propagated either by 

 division or by riitfings. Nearly all the varieties be- 

 longing tn thi^ si'iii.iii c;!!! III.' grown by amateurs, and 

 make exci'lli iit Imiis.- ],lanls, especially B. manicata, 

 rubra, sptrulatn, a t-giji-osfignut, vvlt. picta, ricinifolia, 

 heracleifolia. 



The second section, the Semi-tuberous, comprises 

 such Begonias as B. Socotrana and Gloire de Sceaux. 

 They require greater care, and should be grown in a soil 

 with considerably more leaf-mold and a temperature of 

 65-70° in the daytime and 60° at night. Of Gloire de 

 Sceaux and other hybrids, plants 2 years old will be 

 found best for decorative purposes. 



The third section, the Tuberous Begonias, are grown 

 in pots, boxes or baskets, under glass, or as bedding 

 plants in a shaded border. If the plants are intended 

 for pot culture in the greenhouse, it is best to use the 

 tubers. For early flowering, start the tubers in Februarj' 

 or March, either in small pots or shallow boxes. The soil 

 may be composed of loam, sharp sand and leaf-mold, and 

 the tempersiture about 60°- 05°. When the plants are 

 ready for repotting. well-rotted manure may be added, and 

 when the roots have taken a fresh hold a cooler tempera- 

 ture may be maintained. For bedding purposes, seed- 

 ling plants, as well as tubers, may be used, providing they 

 are of a first-class strain. Tubers are preferred if early- 

 flowering plants are desired. They bloom more abun- 

 dantly in the early part of the season, as they have the 

 strength of the already formed tubers. Plant in the mid- 



