168 



Root Crops 



For home use^ two or three rows fifty feet long, the seeds 

 being sown at intervals (as every fortnight) extending 

 over a month or two, should give a sufficient supply for 

 the spring and early summer. 



For autumn use the turnip-rooted beets may be sown in 

 July and August, or, in some places, even as late as the 

 first of September. When sown late, however, it is impor- 

 tant that the land should have been well tilled previous to 

 sowing, that it may not be too dry. The firmest and best 

 roots may be stored for winter in pits or in the cellar in 

 boxes of earth or moss. 



The long or blood beets are usually sown in early May in 

 tlie Northern States, and they occupy the ground the 

 whole season. The half -long kinds are useful in autumn 

 and winter, and they may be sown later than the long 

 kinds, following early peas or other crop. 



Young beets are much used for greens. They are rarely 

 grown especially for this purpose, but the seed is sown 

 thick and the thinnings are sold in bunches or in small 

 packages. The whole plant, root and top, is thus used as 

 a potherb. Certain kinds of beets produce thick leaves 

 rather than roots; these are essentially leaf crops and are 

 discussed under that head. See Chard, page 59. 



Early beets are usually sold in bunches of about six, be- 

 fore the roots are full grown, but the later crop is sold in 

 baskets, crates, and barrels. The price depends much on 

 the earliness and freshness of the product. 



Good early and mid-season beets are Egyptian, Bassano, 

 Eclipse, Bastian, Detroit Dark Bed, Crimson Globe, Co- 

 lumbia, Edmand. A standard winter variety is Long 

 Blood. There are many other good varieties. 



