180 GARDENING FOE THE SOUTH. 



supply better than most vegetables the place of animal 

 food. Gather them in their green state when full grown, 

 and dry them carefully in the sun. They are better gath- 

 ered thus than if delayed until ripe, and are also free from 

 bugs. Soak them over night before being boiled. They 

 can also be laid down with layers of salt like snap-beans. 

 They are very good gathered when ripe, and dried care- 

 fully in an oven in order to keep them free from insects, 

 which, at the South, are quite destructive. Snap-beans 

 are also pickled, while young, in the same way as cucum- 

 bers. 



BEET. (Seta vulgaris, and B. Cicla.) 



The Common Beet, Beta vulgaris, is a biennial plant, a 

 native of the sea coasts of the south of Europe, and is said 

 to have been cultivated for its beautiful red roots long be- 

 fore its edible properties were discovered. 



It was introduced into England by Tradescant, in the 

 year 1656. Its name is said to come from the resemblance 

 of its seed to the letter JBeta, of the Greek alphabet. 



The best varieties are the following: 



Extra Early Turnip, or Bassano Beet. The root is 

 oval; color, pale red. Downing truly says "it is the 

 sweetest, most tender, and delicate of all beets ; " but the 

 color boils out, so that it is not as beautiful as some oth- 

 ers, yet it is the best early beet and one of the easiest 

 grown. 



Early Turnip-rooted is a week or two later ; the ex- 

 posed part of the root is brownish, red below ground, and 

 flesh of purplish red, which becomes lighter in boiling ; ap- 

 parently coarse, but really tender, sweet, and well-flavored. 



