200 THE SCHOOL GARDEN BOOK 



in such a soil. They may be grown, however, by adding a 

 nitrogenous fertilizer and furnishing plenty of water during 

 the growing period. 



Beets are commonly classified into two principal groups, 

 based upon the size of the roots. These are, first, the flat 

 or turnip-shaped varieties, and the oblong or long-rooted 

 varieties. The former, however, are much more popular 

 because they mature more quickly and are more tender and 

 better for table use. For the home or school garden, the 

 turnip-shaped varieties are certainly much more desirable 

 than the others. 



Every seedsman offers many varieties of beet seeds, and 

 the same is true of most vegetables. An inexperienced 

 gardener hardly knows which to choose. For thorough 

 knowledge of a vegetable it is well to grow several typical 

 varieties the same season, that by comparison one may 

 decide which is best for his conditions and which he prefers 

 for his table. Every school garden may wisely present a 

 few vegetables in such representative variety every year. In 

 the case of the beet, one should grow not only varieties of 

 turnip-shaped beets praised by the different seed growers, 

 and several varieties of the long beet, but also one or more 

 varieties of sugar beet. 



The growth of the beet is very simple. The seed may be 

 sown as early in the spring as the ground can be got into 

 finely pulverized condition, planting sparsely in drills, the 

 rows being at least a foot apart. The seedlings will soon come 

 up, and should be thinned early so that the plants stand about 

 half an inch apart. Two weeks or more later, they should 

 be thinned again, leaving the most vigorous plants to stand 

 about five inches apart, and utilizing the young plants pulled 



