1064 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Beetroot tops should be cut or pulled in such a way that part 

 of the leaf stalk is left. 



How not to remove the top of Beetroot. 



When digging the roots take 

 care not to injure them 

 with the fork. 



in some gardens ; they grow 4 or 5 feet 

 high, bear well over a considerable period, 

 need staking, and are grown like Runner 

 Beans. Tender and True is a reliable variety. 

 Bean, Runner. The ground for Scarlet 

 Runners must be well cultivated and liber- 

 ally manured ; then they give an extra- 

 ordinary weight of Beans, and continue to 

 bear until frost cuts them down. Sow a 

 double row of seeds 6 inches apart, 4 inches 

 deep, the first week in May ; the sets of rows 

 should be 7 feet apart. Stake the Beans 

 early with strong stakes at least 7 feet long. 

 The plants can be raised in pots in a cold 



frame and planted 

 out in May to yield 

 an earlier crop. 

 Should the summer 

 and autumn prove 

 dry, manure water 

 should be applied 

 occasionally and the 

 ground above the 

 roots top-dressed 

 with rotted manure 

 3 inches deep. This 

 will keep the soil 

 moist and prevent the 

 flowers from falling. 

 Prizewinner and Best 

 of All are fine Beans ; 

 New White Mammoth 

 and Scarlet Mammoth 

 are excellent. 



Beetroot. The 

 value of the Beetroot 

 as an article of food 

 is becoming more 

 appreciated in this 

 country, though its 

 use is still too re- 

 stricted. In Italy 

 its leaves are cooked 

 like Spinach, and 

 served on buttered 

 toast with sauce. 

 Boiled Beetroot is 

 excellent for use as a 

 second vegetable 

 treated in the follow- 

 ing way: Wash 

 clean, but do not 

 scrape or cut in any 



way, and boil for two hours ; then remove 

 the skin and cut into slices. Serve in 

 melted butter, adding salt, pepper, and 

 vinegar to taste. As a pickle it is always 

 acceptable with cold meat. 



The roots should not be grown in recently 

 manured land, but in soil which has been 

 deeply dug and heavily manured for a crop 

 the previous year, such as Cauliflower, Cab- 

 bage, or Celery. The first week in May is 

 the best time to sow. Sow 2 inches deep, 

 thinning the young plants to 9 inches apart 

 as soon as they are large enough to handle ; 

 the rows should be 1 foot apart. Take up 



The roots stored in sand 

 and protected as shown 

 by dotted line. 



