468 



BEET 



BEET 



499. Bassano beet. 



sometimes cultivated under the name of beet, but Beta 

 vulgaris, Linn., is the only one of practical importance. 

 From it all our common garden varieties are derived. 

 According to DeCandoIle, the aboriginal slender-rooted 

 species is found in sandy soil, and especially near the 

 sea, throughout southern Europe, and on nearly all the 

 coasts of the Mediterranean. It also occurs as far east- 

 ward as the Caspian Sea and Persia. "Everything shows 

 that its cultivation does not date 

 from more than two or three cen- 

 turies before the Christian era." It 

 is now highly improved, principally 

 in the one direction of large and suc- 

 culent roots, and is much esteemed 

 in all civilized countries. See Beta. 



The beet grows at a low tempera- 

 ture and thrives best, therefore, in 

 the cooler parts of the country, it is 

 also an important winter crop at the 

 South and an early spring crop at the 

 North. The young plants will stand 

 light frosts and after two weeks will 

 stand fairly heavy frosts. 



With the extension of glasshouse 

 gardening, beets have come to be one of the important 

 greenhouse crops. They are not usually made a main 

 crop, however, but are grown between other crops, 

 such as lettuce, beans, or even tomatoes. They are 

 sown very thick and when the young plants begin to 

 crowd, they are thinned out and the thinning sold for 

 greens. As beets thrive best at relatively low tempera- 

 tures, they may first be grown in a lettuce-house or 

 other greenhouse having a temperature of 60 to 

 70, rather than in a house piped for tomatoes or 

 cucumbers. 



The beet is grown exclusively from seed. Most table- 

 beet seed for use in the United States is produced in 

 Europe. It is possible, of course, for any gardener to 

 grow his own seed, but in order to do this the roots must 

 be taken up before the crown is exposed to severe frost, 

 and carried through the winter in cool and moist but 

 frost-proof storage, and planted in the garden the sec- 

 ond year. Seed stems run up to the height of 4 feet. 

 When the seeds are ripe the tops are cut and put in a 

 warm storage house to dry. When fully dry the seed 

 is winnowed out. Seed is usually sown where the crop 

 is to grow, although the plants are easily transplanted. 

 The transplanting is sometimes undertaken, especially 

 when beets are to be grown as a catch-crop or intercrop 

 in greenhouses. 



Varieties and types. 



Some of the most popular varietal types of the gar- 

 den beet are: Bassano (Fig. 499). Flesh white and 

 light red mixed; an old-time early variety, now less 

 grown than formerly. Crosby. Slightly oblate, red 

 flesh, excellent for general purposes, including forcing. 

 Early Blood Turnip. Rich, deep blood-red, flattened 

 turnip-shape; an old and well-known sort. Edmand. 

 Moderate size; handsome, rounded, smooth, deep red; 

 good grain and flavor; not quite first-early. Eclipse. 

 Uniformly globular, bright red; fine-grained and sweet; 

 one of the best quick-growing early beets. Egyptian 

 Turnip. Tops quite small; roots fair size, rich, deep 

 red; a standard early variety. 



For field culture of culinary beets, the long-rooted 

 varieties are chiefly used. These are sown in the field 

 as soon as the weather is settled, in rows far enough 

 apart to allow of tillage by horse. Most of them require 

 the entire season in which to mature. They are grown 

 mostly for storing for winter use. They were once grown 

 for stock, but the mangel-wurzels give much greater 

 yields. The various types of Long and Half -long Blood 

 beet (Fig. 500) are chiefly used for field culture. 



Favorite varieties of mangel-wurzels are Golden 

 Tankard, Golden Yellow Mammoth, Mammoth Long 



Red. Several sorts of sugar beets, mostly imported 

 from Germany, are being grown in divers places in 

 America. Of chard, there are few selected varieties 

 offered in America. 



The varieties of Beta vulgaris may be conveniently 

 divided into five cultural sections, though the distinc- 

 tions are somewhat arbitrary and of no fundamental 

 importance. These sections are as follows: 



1. GARDEN BEETS. Varieties with comparatively 

 small tops: roots of medium size, smooth, regular and 

 fine-grained: mostly red, but sometimes whitish or 

 yellowish. 



2. MANGEL-WURZELS, or MANGELS. Large, coarse- 

 growing varieties, with large tops and often very large 

 roots, the latter frequently rising some distance out of 

 the ground; rather coarse-grained. Extensively grown 

 for stock-feeding. See Cyclo. Amer. Agric. Vol. II, p. 

 539 (Root Crops)! 



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. See Cyclo. Amer. 

 Agric. Vol. II, p. 588. 



4. CHARD, or Swiss CHARD. Varieties with com- 

 paratively large tops, broad leaf-blades and very large, 

 succulent leaf-stems, which are cooked and eaten some- 

 what like asparagus. The thrifty, tender young leaves 

 make a very excellent pot-herb. Chard has sometimes 

 been referred to a separate species, Beta Cicla, but 

 should be included with B. vulgaris. See Chard. 



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 Dracccna-leaved. The ribs of the leaves 

 are usually beautifully colored. Where the leaf-blight 

 fungus is not serious, these foliage beets make excellent 

 borders when strong and heavy effects are desired, and 

 they are excellent for bedding. Raised from seeds, as 

 other beets are; roots may be kept over winter. 



Cultivation. 



Young beets constitute one of the most important 

 early crops in truck-gardening. Many acres of them are 

 grown near all the city markets, and as they bear trans- 

 portation well, they are often grown at comparatively 

 remote places. Large quantities are shipped early from 



500. Half-long Blood beet. 



Norfolk, Va., and from other southern points to north- 

 ern markets. Like all root crops, the beet needs a loose, 

 light, fresh, clean, rich soil, which must be in the best 

 condition of tillage. No fermenting manure should be 

 used, but instead fully rotted barn manure, with some 

 good potash fertilizer. Light applications of nitrate of 

 soda often produce, marked beneficial effects. The seed 

 for the first crop is sown early in spring, as soon as 

 the soil can be well worked. When intensive garden- 



