CHAPTER VII 

 ROOT, TUBER, AND BULB CROPS 



MOST root, tuber, and bulb crops grow best in sandy loam 

 soils and in cool climates. A few, such as the sweet potato, 

 require a warm growing season. 



ROOT AND TUBER CROPS 



150. The beet. It is supposed that the modern cultivated 

 varieties of edible beets were developed from the wild 

 forms known to the ancients. Varieties are still found 



wild in the Mediterranean region. 

 The sea beet, cultivated for its 

 leaves, is a native of the seacoasts 

 of England. The chard (Fig. 63), 

 of which the leaves only are used 

 as food, originated in Portugal, and 

 was introduced into England as 

 early as the seventeenth century. 

 An ornamental sort, known as the 

 Chilean beet, is said to have come 

 from Chile in South America. 



Edible beets are cultivated to 

 some extent in all parts of the 

 United States and in many sections 



of Canada. They require a cool climate for the best develop- 

 ment and are, therefore, grown extensively in the North. 

 Beets grow best and have roots of most perfect shape in 

 a rich sandy loam, although they can be raised with some suc- 



92 



