264 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



rows, severing the roots of the plants, and after the plants have dried 

 and become somewhat cured they are thrown into convenient heaps 

 for loading on wagons and are allowed to remain in these heaps until 

 near the approach of the rainy season. Then they are carried to the 

 thrashing floors^ where they are beaten out by the tramping of ani- 

 mals or by driving over the heap a device somewhat similar to the 

 ordinary cutaway harrow. 



The dwarf Lima beans, because of their habit of growth, are 

 planted and cultivated practically the same as are field beans. They 

 are slightly hardier than pole Limas, and for that reason toward the 

 northern limit of the range of this crop can be planted somewhat 

 earlier in the season than the pole Limas. (F. B. 289; U. Mich. 

 259; S. C. E. S .10; S. Dak. E. S. 47, 91; Iowa E. S. 47; Miss. 

 E. S. 131.) 



BEETS. 



The red garden beet may be grown in any good soil, but rich, 

 eandy loam will give the best results. Sow the seeds in the spring as 

 soon as danger of frost has passed. Beets should be planted in drills 

 12 to 18 inches apart, and when the plants are well up they should 

 be thinned to 4 or 5 inches in the row. If desirable to plant in rows 

 3 feet apart for horse cultivation, the seeds may be sown in a double 

 drill with 6 inches between, leaving 30 inches for cultivation. Two 

 ounces of beet seed are required to plant 100 feet of row, or 5 pounds 

 to the acre. As a rule each seed ball contains more than one seed, and 

 this accounts for beets coming up very thickly. The seed should be 

 covered to a depth of about 1 inch. For a succession of young beets 

 during the summer, plantings should be made every four or five 

 weeks during the spring months. Beets intended for winter storage 

 should not be sown until late in the summer, the crop being harvested 

 and stored in the same manner as turnips. Sugar beets are often 

 substituted for the ordinary garden beet, especially for winter use. 



A soil that is well adapted to growing the usual vegetables will 

 be found good for this one. It may be slightly heavier than that for 

 the crops that are grown for their foliage, as lettuce. A good cabbage 

 soil will be found of about the right consistency. Wet or soggy land 

 will not raise a crop. "^Plow deep and prepare the ground well ; the 

 seedlings are quite small and need considerable coaxing before they 

 will make a good start. Use plenty of fertilizer of some well prepared 

 kind. Rough or undecomposed material should not be used. A 

 sprinkling of powdered nitrate soda as a top dressing when the plants 

 are one-third grown will produce a rapid growth. In applying, be 

 careful not to apply so as to touch the foliage, unless during a rain. 

 It is not profitable to transplant beets; it may be done on a small 

 scale, but it is too expensive to practice on a large scale. 



Varieties. According to shape of the root one may divide beets 

 into two classes, viz., Long Rooted and Globular. If color is made 

 the basis of classification you have red, white and yellow kinds. Extra 

 Early Blood Turnip, Eclipse and Extra Early ^Egyptian are good 

 varieties to grow for market. The first named is probably the best; 

 the last named has the disadvantage of becoming stringy if it ma- 



