GARDEN BEETS 245 



GARDEN BEETS are usually planted much earlier than the 

 other types of beets, not because they are hardier, but because 

 it is desired to get the crop earlier. They will withstand some late 

 spring frosts and also survive the summer heat fairly well. 



In the growing of beets for the table, it is necessary that they 

 make a quick, continuous growth so that little, if any, wood}'' 

 tissue will be found. If the growth is checked by dry weather or 

 from any other cause, the fibrous tissue becomes woody and the 

 crop is less palatable, and perhaps not edible at all. 



Young beets are always preferred in the market, and to secure 

 a marketable product during all the summer season a number of 

 plantings are made. These may succeed each other at intervals 

 of about three or four weeks. The late summer or early fall plant- 

 ing should be given time to reach a desired size before the actual 

 freezing of the ground. There is no time at which the roots may 

 be called mature, as they are commonly harvested for table use 

 in a young condition. 



Canning factories put up the best crop while in the young 

 stage and thus preserve the vegetable while in a palatable condi- 

 tion for winter use. The roots are also stored in cellars for sale 

 and use during the winter, but the crop for this purpose should 

 be in an advanced stage of growth, and many of the roots will 

 usually be found to contain much fibrous material, but if their 

 growth has been rapid and steady up to the end of the growing 

 season, the roots may ripen without much of the objectionable 

 fibre being developed. 



Growing the Crop. The soil conditions and planting are much 

 the same as for other types of beets already described. As the 

 roots are smaller, the rows may be grown closer together, and 

 when the tillage is chiefly or entirely by hand tools, the distances 

 between rows may be only twelve to fourteen inches. 



The drilling of seed is usually done by hand and a little more 

 care may be exercised than in the case of other beets which are 

 usually planted in large quantities. Thinning is not practiced in 

 the same way as with other beets. The seed itself is very similar 

 to the others and the plants will come up too thick for their best 

 growth, but the beet tops are valuable for cooking as greens and 

 the thinning is delayed until a crop of greens can be harvested. 

 The thinning is then done by hand as the crop of greens is picked. 

 At that time the largest roots are left for further growth. Shortly 

 after this more thinning can be done when the largest roots are 



