150 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



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 localities 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 neces- 

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

 planted if moisture conditions are arranged, small planting for 

 several successions should be the rule in the family or sale garden, 

 if long use from one planting shows deterioration. 



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

 den in rows twelve inches apart, or even nearer than that if space 

 is precious, but rows for horse work should be eighteen inches or 

 two feet, as may be necessary to insure that the distance chosen 

 shall bring the rows of upright growers uniform distances apart 

 for ease of cultivation with implements that cover several rows at 

 one passage. The small varieties popular in this state do not need 

 that distance, but all narrow spacing is grievous in the use of 

 horse tools. 



The soil for beets should be well worked to allow natural pen- 

 etration, for the beet has a taproot of great importance in its de- 

 velopment. The seed may be soaked before planting if the ground 

 is inclined to be dry, and should be covered from three-quarters 

 of an inch to two inches, according as the soil is heavy and moist 

 or light and dry. In late planting the seed must go down to moist- 

 ure, and there is then little danger of rain compacting the cover- 

 ing. Planting may be done any time when the soil is moist and 

 warm, but never when it is cold or wet. Seed may be spaced an 

 inch in the drill approximately, but while still small the plants 

 should be thinned to six or eight inches. The sooner this is done 

 after the plants have reached a height of three or four inches the 

 better. It is quite a common practice to allow the rows to grow 

 thickly until the thinnings are large enough for greens. The prac- 

 tice injures the surviving beets, for they never reach quite the de- 

 velopment they would if they had never been crowded, but with 

 some the gain of the greens is a compensation. 



Varieties. The garden beets popular in California for table 

 use are all the round or flat shapes, and all of red color. 



Detroit Dark Red, globular, rich red flesh; tops small and 

 green. 



The Eclipse, an old favorite, is still of wide popularity. It is 

 early and of good quality, and symmetrical, round form. Said to 

 be better than others for late planting. 



Crimson Globe, medium size, globular, smooth; small taproot 

 and abundant foliage, protecting root crown. 



The Extra Early Egyptian is of flat, turnip shape, very deep 

 color, early, tender and fine. 



