54 Southern Gardener^ s Practical Manual 



position. If bent, the root will not develop, and if the 

 lower part of the dibble hole is not closed around the 

 extremity of the root, the plant will fail to grow. The 

 beet is hardy enough not to be injured by an ordinary 

 frost, and hence can be planted as early as the soil is 

 sufficiently warm to supply the necessary conditions for 

 the germination of the seed. The seed should be planted 

 on a bed raised two or three inches above the general 

 surface. Since there are several seeds in each pod, they 

 may be sown quite thinly to avoid the trouble of thin- 

 ning, except to take out the surplus plants from the 

 bunches. This should be done as early as the plants are 

 large enough to be handled conveniently. Care must be 

 exercised not to loosen or otherwise injure the plants 

 that are to remain. Transplanting the surplus plants 

 drawn out was formerly the common practice, but this 

 does not pay for the extra trouble. Better plant enough 

 for a supply and throw away those taken out. To facili- 

 tate cultivation, have the rows one and a half to two 

 feet apart. For the early crop, leave the plants four 

 inches in the drill, and as soon as the roots are the size 

 of a guinea egg commence pulling out alternate ones for 

 the table. If the seed is sown with a seed-drill so that 

 it comes up in a straight line, the early cultivation 

 will be simplified. The hand- plow provided with the 

 rake or sweep on the foot, may then supplant the hoe. 

 All subsequent cultivation can be done with this plow. 

 The germination of the seed may be hastened by soak- 

 ing for twelve hours in hot water in which soot has 

 been dissolved. The water may be nearly at the boiling 

 point when poured over the seed and allowed to cool 



