BRUSSELS SPROUTS 159 



to which they grow, must be given more room than garden beets 

 or even Swiss chard. The large-growing types of stock beets fre- 

 quently attain a length of 2 or 3 feet and a diameter of from 4 to 

 8 inches. The individual roots frequently weigh 20 pounds or more, 

 and for this reason require rich soil and sufficient room for their 

 development. A common distance between the rows of stock beets 

 is 30 inches, the plants being thinned to stand 10 or 12 inches 

 apart in the row, according to the variety. At the approach of cold 

 weather in the fall, the roots are lifted by means of a root digger. 

 The tops are cut off and fed to animals, and the roots themselves 

 are either stored in root cellars or buried upon high land in small 

 heaps, so that they can be secured for feeding purposes during the 

 winter season. Because of the size of the roots, it is necessary 

 that they be broken up or cut into small pieces before they can be 

 fed to animals. For this purpose there are a number of so-called 

 root cutters which slice or break the roots into comparatively small 

 pieces. The watery, juicy nature of the root makes it a laxative 

 and an appetizer for the stock, and while its food value is not high, 

 it is valuable at a season of the year when the rations of the dairy 

 cow are chiefly confined to dry foods. 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS 1 



Brussels sprouts, Bras sic a oleracea var. gemmifera, is the name 

 by which one of the many peculiar variations of the cabbage is 

 known. While cabbagelike in leaf and stem, this plant does not 

 form a head like true cabbage, but instead forms a number of small 

 heads, or sprouts, in the axils of the leaves. The leaves nearest 

 the ground produce sprouts first, those at the summit of the long 

 stalk sprouting last. 



Brussels sprouts is a hardy plant and produces its main crop 

 after cool weather comes in autumn. In fact, in southern Europe 

 and in the milder climates of the United States, from Long Island 

 southward, the crop is chiefly harvested from October 1 5 to April i . 

 In mild winters, even as far north as Long Island, the harvest 

 continues throughout the winter. In localities of severer climates 

 the mature plants are lifted at the approach of cold weather and 



1 For a botanical consideration of this crop, see Cabbage. 



