126 



tinct types of beets in cultivation at the present 

 time, all of which have originated from a single 

 parent plant through careful selection vs^ith radically- 

 different ideas in mind. These types are the com- 

 mon garden or red beet, the swiss chard or leaf 

 beet, the sugar beet and the mangel or mangel- 

 wurzel. The garden or red beet is the form of 

 especial interest to vegetable gardeners, although 

 the swiss chard or leaf beet is beginning to be 

 grown quite extensively as a potherb. 



Sandy or gravelly loams well enriched and well 

 drained give the best results with this crop. Cold 

 soils and those retentive of moisture are not satis- 

 factory. Inasmuch as quick 

 results are expected from 

 the beet, heavy applica- 

 tions of plant food should 

 be made to the soil both 

 in the form of manure 

 and commercial fertilizers. 

 From 30 to 40 tons of 

 well-rotted stable manure, 

 together with 600 or 800 

 pounds of fertilizer analyz- 

 ing approximately two 

 per cent nitrogen, six per 

 cent phosphorus, eight 

 per cent potash, should be 

 applied. Beets are usually 

 grown as a close crop, cul- 

 tivation being done en- 

 tirely by hand. The rows are usually from 

 12 to 15 inches apart, and after the plants are 

 well started they are thinned to from two to four 

 inches in the row. Some gardeners dispense with 



A BUNCH OF BEETS READY 



FOR MARKET 



Note their uniformity. 



