CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 247 



classes; namely, root oblate or top-shai>xiJ, root oval, 

 root half-long and root long-conical. Each of these 

 classes is divided into subclasses based on color — red or 

 yellow. The four types of beets which have been devel- 

 oped from Beta vulgaris are common garden beet, sugar 

 beet, mangel or mangel-wurzel, and swiss chard, which 

 last is used for greens. The following varieties of garden 

 beets are the most important : 



Crosby Egyptian, a very early and valuable blood tur- 

 nip variety; extensively grown. 



Eclipse, extra early, round and smooth ; top small ; 

 flesh intense red and high in quality; popular for home 

 use and market. 



Early Model, a very early round beet of high quality. 



Egyptian. Various strains or selections of this variety 

 are offered by seedsmen. It is an early, turnip-shaped 

 beet and largely planted. 



Edmands Blood Turnip, a round beet, desirable to fol- 

 low, the very early varieties. 



Bastian Blood Turnip, a turnip-shaped beet, valued 

 for early planting. 



Bastian Half-Long Blood, light in color and excellent 

 in quality; a medium early variety. 



Yellow Turnip, an early, yellow, sweet-fleshed 

 variety. 



Long Dark Red, a long-rooted late variety valued by 

 some people for winter use. 



322. Planting. — The beet seed sold in the United 

 States is produced in California, the Middle States, 

 England and France. A small percentage of market 

 gardeners grow their own seed. As the plant is biennial, 

 in order to produce seed the roots must be preserved 

 over winter (325) and planted in the spring as soon as 

 the ground can be prepared. The seed plants grow to 

 the height of about 4 feet and branch profusely; there- 

 fore the roots should be planted about 2x3 feet apart 



