140 BERMUDA. 



and the plants tliinned to ten or twelve inches in the 

 rows. It is believed, however, that moderate-sized 

 roots contain proportionally more saccharine matter 

 than extra large roots, and that twenty tons, or about 

 seven hundred bushels, are a very profitable crop 

 for an acre of land, and would be amply sufficient 

 to feed ten cows for three or four months of the year. 

 Draw drills a foot apart, and from one to two 

 inches deep. Drop the seed along the drills, one or 

 two inches from each other, and cover them with 

 earth. When the plants are up and strong, thin 

 them to the distance of six or eight inches from each 

 other in the rows. The ground should be afterwards 

 hoed deep round the plants, and kept free from 

 weeds. If the planting of beet-seed for general crops 

 be delayed untH September, the roots will be much 

 larger and better than those from earlier planting. 

 The most suitable ground for beets is that which has 

 been well manured for previous crops, and requires 

 no fresh manure, provided it be well pulverized. It 

 may be necessary to add, that one pound of beet- 

 seed will measure about two quarts, and as each 

 capsule contains four or five small seed, thinning out 

 the surplus plants is indispensable to the production 

 of good roots. Soak the seed twenty-four hours in 

 water previous to sowing it. 



