164 



Root Crops 



compositoiTS, representing the Sunflower family, Com- 

 po sitae. 



BEET 



A loose deep rich fresh relatively cool soil and a con- 

 tinuous groivth are the prime requisites in the cultivation 

 of garden l)eet. It is usually a companion- or succession- 

 crop in the vegetable- gar den. The crop is hardy and easy 

 to raise. The round varieties are relatively surface feeders 

 and early in growth. The land should he Icept well tilled 

 to conserve moisture and to keep down weeds, particularly 

 in the early part of the season. 



Sow in drills as soon as the ground is ready, and thin to 

 5 to 8 in. apart ; the thinnings may be used as greens. The 

 drills should be far enough apart to admit of wheel-hoe till- 

 age, — 12 to 18 in. Field beets should be far enough apart for 

 horse tillage, 20 to 30 in. Five to eight pounds of seed are 

 required for an acre; 1 ounce sows 75 to 100 feet of drill. 

 Seed is covered about 1 in. deep. Average crop is 300 to 400 

 bushels to the acre. 



Leaf-spot {Cercospora deticola) . — Ashen gray leaf spots, 

 each surrounded by a reddish purple border, are characteristic 

 symptoms. Frequently the central tissue drops out and the 

 leaf presents a shot-holed appearance. As the outer leaves 

 die off, new ones are formed, thus elongating the crown of 

 the beet. Control: Sanitary measures in the field together 

 with crop rotation are beneficial. A thorough application of 

 bordeaux mixture at intervals will afford control. 



Spinach leaf-miner {Pegomyia liyoscyami). — A whitish 

 maggot, Ys in. long when full-grown, that mines the leaves 

 of beet, spinach, orach, and chard. The mine is at first 

 thread-like but soon enlarges and becomes a blotch. Many 

 maggots often infest the same leaf. The insect also breeds on 

 lamb's quarters (pigweed). Control: Clean culture and the 



