GARDEN BEETS. 207 



ditions, it needs for the proper germination of its seed 

 moist, warm ground, and it makes rapid and tender 

 growth with the same soil conditions. In cold, wet soil or 

 in hot, dry land, it will grow slowly and will be tough and 

 of inferior flavor. Though it is true that beets will endure 

 much drought, growing slowly and rooting deeply on land 

 where grain and hay would fall and subsequently, with 

 the coming of the fall rains, assume more active growth 

 and reach large size for the winter feeding of stock, it is 

 not in that way that tender and sound-flavored table beets 

 can be produced. They should make rapid growth from 

 start to finish, and then they may remain in their places 

 for some time without notable loss of quality, unless the 

 ground is heavy, becomes saturated and retains water. In 

 fact, some growers on well-cultivated upland loams claim 

 that the beets improve in the soil and are sweetest and 

 tenderest just before sending up their seed stalks. In lo- 

 calities with excessive rains, it is often desirable to gather 

 beets and pack them away in dry sand, but in most places 

 open air winter conditions do not make this necessary. 

 On the other hand, as the seed may be almost continuously 

 planted if moisture conditions are arranged, small plant- 

 ing for several successions should be the rule in the family 

 or sale garden, if long use from one planting shows de- 

 terioration. 



Garden Culture. Beets may be grown in the hand-hoed 

 garden in rows 12 inches apart, or even nearer than that 

 if space is precious, but rows for horse work should be 18 

 inches or two feet, according as may be necessary to agree 

 with the unit of distance chosen to bring the rows of up- 

 right growers uniform distances apart for ease of culti- 

 vation. The small varieties popular in this State do not 

 need that distance, perhaps, but all sorts of spacing is 

 grievous in the use of horse tools. 



The soil for beets should be well worked to allow natural 

 penetration, for the beet has a taproot of great importance 

 in its development. The seed may be soaked before plant- 

 ing if the ground is inclined to be dry, and should be cov- 



