BEETS AND CHARD 7 1 



Fertilizer. — The advantage of the commercial 

 fertilizer is its quick effect on the seedling. Being 

 pulverized and well mixed with the soil, it warms 

 the young plant and gives the roots a good start 

 before they are able to reach out and draw their 

 nourishment from the coarser dressing about them. 

 An examination of the beet root will show that it is 

 very different from the long, wandering feeders of 

 the corn. Its main taproot goes straight down sev- 

 eral inches, and the small feeders branch off from 

 that only an inch or two. This shows us clearly 

 that the fertilizer must be directly below the beet and 

 must be worked deeply into the earth, which is soft 

 and porous to allow free passage for the taproot. 



Lime is especially required for this crop, as beets 

 are hard to develop where there is acid in the soil. 

 Lime will neutralize the acid, will make the manure 

 in the soil much more available for the plant, will 

 help keep worms away, and will make the soil more 

 porous and fine. 



If dressing is not available, twice as much com- 

 mercial fertihzer may be used, and a pound of ni- 

 trate of soda, scattered along in the fifty-foot rows 

 before planting, will help keep the moisture in the 

 soil about the roots. 



Varieties 



Three varieties of beets are highly recommended. 

 As the seed is not costly and the plants take Uttle 



