BEETS. 37 



oats. Of course there is a limit. If you sow too thickly 

 you would not get any crop at all, and in any case the 

 premature ripening is obtained at the expense of the 

 yield. What I mean is, when you get a very early crop 

 it will usually be a small one. I should plant a row of 

 Early Valentine beans quite thickly, say two beans to 

 each inch of row, and then, a week later, sow a few more 

 rows of Black Wax or Golden Wax, three beans to each 

 two inches of row, and then when the ground is 

 thoroughly warm, about the first week in June, sow the 

 main crop not thicker than one bean to each inch of row. 

 The White Kidney may be sown in the same way and 

 about the same time. I need hardly say that the ground 

 must be kept hoed between the rows, and all the weeds 

 pulled out from between the plants. The Black Wax is 

 the besfc of all the string beans; a good deal depends, 

 however, on obtaining a good succulent growth, and 

 gathering the pods before they become too old and tough. 

 For this reason it is better to plant at two or three dif- 

 ferent times in succession, and it is also desirable, in order 

 to favor luxuriant growth, to plant on warm, rich, sandy 

 land, and especially to keep it free from weeds. 



BEETS. 



The best of all Beets is supposed to be the Egyptian 

 Blood Turnip. The Editor of the AMERICAN AGRICUL- 

 TURIST once said, that no one knew any thing about 

 beets until he had eaten the Egyptian. It certainly is 

 a delicious beet, but like many other good things it can 

 be spoiled by neglect or bad management. It should be 

 grown rapidly and not too thick in the row, and gathered 

 before it becomes too large and tough. The Bassano- 

 beet is very early and easily grown. It is larger than the 

 Egyptian, but the flesh is lighter colored, and on this ac- 



