The Kitchen Garden. 489 



Mined fmall round fccde : the roote is very full ot'threds or Itrings. 



The red Hlite is in all things like the white, but that his leaties and tutted heades arc 

 exceeding red at the firll, and after turnc more purplilli. 



The Vfe of Blitcs. 



Blitcs are vfed as Arrach, eyther boylcd of it felfc or flewed, which they 

 call Loblolly, or among other hcrbes to bee put into the pot ; and yet fomc 

 doc vtterly retufe it, becaufc in diuers it prouoketh callings. It is altogether 

 inlipide or without talle, but yet by reafon of the moift flipperie qualitic 

 it hath, it helpeth to loofen the belly. The vnfauorinefTc whereof hath 

 in many Countries growne into a prouerbc, or by-word, to call dull, flow, 

 or lazie perfons by that name : They arc accounted more hurtfull to the 

 Itomacke, and fo to the head and eyes, then other herbes, and therefore 

 they are the lefle vfcd. 



CHAP. XX. 

 Beta. Beetes. 



Tl I ere are many diuerlities of Beetes, fome growing naturally in our own Coun- 

 try, others brought from beyond Sea ; whereof fome are white, fome greene, 

 fome yellow, fome red : the leaues of fome are of vfe only, and the root not 

 vfed : others the rootc is only vfed, and not tjhe leaues : and fome againe, both roote 

 and leafe. The ancient Authors, as by their workes appeare, knew but two forts, the 

 white and the blacke Beete, whereof the white is fufficiently known, and was of them 

 termed Sii ///</, oi the later Phyiitians Sic/a, becaufe it was thought firft to be brought 

 from Sicilie : the blacke abideth fome controueriie ; fome thinking that our common 

 greene Beete, becaufe it is of a darke greene colour, was that they called the blacke 

 Beete ; others that our fmall red Beete, which is of a darke red colour, was their black 

 Beete, which in my opinion is the more likely : But to come to the matter in hand, and 

 giuc you the defcriptions of them which are in vfe with vs, and leaue controuerfies to 

 fuch a worke as is fit for them, wherein all fuch matters may be difcufled at large. 



The common white Beete hath many great leaues next the ground (in fome hot 

 Countries growing to be three foote long, and very broade, in our Countrey they are 

 very large, but nothing neere that proportion) of a whitifh greene colour ; the ftalke 

 is great, ftrong, and ribbed or crefted, bearing great (lore of leaues vpon it vp to the 

 very toppe almofl : the flowers grow in very long tufts, fmall at the ends, and turning 

 down their heads, which arc fmall pale greenifh yellow burres, giuing cornered prick- 

 ly feede : the roote is great, long and hard, when it hath giuen feede, of no vfe at all, 

 but abideth a tormer winter with his leaues vpon it, as all other forts following doe. 

 The common red Beet differeth not from the white Beete, but only that it is not fo 

 great, and both the leaues and rootes are fomewhat red : the leaues bee in fome more 

 red then in others, which haue but red veines or Itrakes in them, in fome alfo of a frefh 

 red, in others very darke red : the roote hereof is red, fpongy, and not vfed to bee 

 eaten. 



The common greene Beete is alfo like vnto the white Beete, but of a darke greene 

 colour. This hath beene found neere the fait Marlhes by Rochelter, in the tixite-way 

 going trom the Lady Levefons houfe thither, by a worthy, diligent and painetull ob- 

 feruer and preferuer both of plants and all other natures varieties, often rcmembred 

 betore in this worke, called lohn Tradefcante, who there finding it, gaue me the know- 

 ledge thereof, and I haue vpon his report fet it here down in this manner : 



The Romane red Beete, called Beta rapofa, is both for leafe and roote the mort excel- 

 lent Beete of all others : his rootes bee as great as the great dt Carrot, exceeding red 

 both within and without, very fweete and good, fit to bee eaten : this Beete groweth 

 higher then the lalt red Beete, whofe rootes are not vfcd to bee eaten : the leaues like- 



Q 3 wife 



