44 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES 



However, this plant does well in land that has 

 grown celery or been well manured for a previous 

 crop. In gardens near the coast I have seen sea-weed 

 used as manure for these roots. The weed is laid 

 spade deep at the bottom of the trench when digging in 

 the winter, and beet grown thus is excellent as regards 

 flavour. Salt used during growth imparts a nutty, 

 sweet taste which many persons are very fond of. 

 There are other advantages in using salt as a surface 

 dressing in showery weather, for it keeps down weed 

 growth, and beet grown thus is often of splendid colour. 

 Beet is much hardier than many persons think it to be. 

 There is no necessity for lifting too early in the autumn, 

 as a little frost is harmless ; but there is more need 

 when the roots are lifted to see that they are stored in 

 a cool place not too dry or warm. Once the roots grow 

 out badly and get soft or shrivel, the flavour is greatly 

 impaired. I have found the best store to be a north 

 shed, the roots being well covered with soil, sand, or fine 

 ashes, in severe weather some loose litter being used 

 as a protector. Many do not even store thus if they 

 have large quantities of roots, but bury in clamps like 

 potatoes, and the roots are better than when placed in 

 a dry place. 



The turnip-rooted, of which the Crimson Ball is a 

 splendid type, being highly coloured for this kind of 

 root and of good quality, may be sown early in April in 

 a warm, well-drained soil, and if given food during 

 growth will mature very quickly and be valuable for 

 early summer supplies. I have also sown this variety 

 under glass, and then pricked out on a warm border, 

 which gives a gain of at least three weeks over the 

 first sowings in the open. There are other fine Globe 

 Beets, such as Sutton's Globe and Dobbie's ; the latter 

 being the best flavoured roots I have tasted. The older 

 Egyptian turnip-rooted are not to be compared as 



