112 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



but on a large scale require a rather different and special 

 treatment. There is no trouble about raising them with a 

 large percentage of sugar in any of the northern states, but 

 the drawbacks to its becoming a more general industry are the 

 very expensive machinery required to extract the sugar econ- 

 omically on a large scale, the small margin of profit and the 

 low price the manufacturers have been willing to pay for the 

 beets. These beets grow entirely below ground, which makes 

 them difficult to dig. The part of a beet above ground does 

 not contain much sugar. 



LEAF BEET: OR SWISS CHARD. 



Native of Southern Europe. — Biennial. — This appears to 

 be exactly the same plant as the 

 beet root, except that in its 

 case cultivation has developed 

 the leaves instead of the root. 

 The botanical characteristics, es- 

 pecially those of the fruit seed 

 and flowers, are precisely alike 

 in both plants. The root is 

 branched and not very fleshy, 

 while the leaves are large and 

 numerous, with the stalk and 

 midrib fleshy and very large. 

 The plants vary in color from 

 deep red to nearly white. The 

 fleshy leaf stalks are cooked and 

 served like asparagus. 



Culture. The plants are grown 

 Fig. 51. Swiss chard. i n the same manner as the com- 



mon table beets. Among the best varieties is one known as the 

 Silvery Swiss chard. 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS. [Brassica oleracea) . 



Native of Europe. — Biennial. — This is one of themany va- 

 riations which the cabbage has taken on under cultivation. In 

 this case, where the head of the cabbage is ordinarily found, 

 there are loose green leaves and seldom a head. The stem is 

 generally two feet or more high, with leaves, and at the base 



