IV.j 



THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 



Ill 



is not so good as a long and smooth one. — As to 

 the preserving of beets during the winter, it is well 

 ' known, that the way is to put them in a dry cellar, 

 j with dry sand between them, or indeed, without 

 I sand or any thing at all between them. They may, 

 if in large quantities, and not wanted till spring, be 

 , preserved out of doors, thus : Take them up three 

 weeks before the hard frost is to come. Cut off 

 their leaves ; let them lay two or three days upon 

 1 straw, or boards, to dry in the sun ; then lay a little 

 [ straw upon the ground, and, in a fine dry day, place 

 ' ' ten bushels of beets (picking out all the cut or 

 bruised ones) upon it in a conical form. Put a lit- 

 tle straw smoothly over the heap ; then cover the 

 whole wdth six or eight inches of earth ; and place 

 a green turf at the top to prevent the earth from be- 

 ing washed, by rain, from the point, before the frost 

 jl set in. All the whole heap will freeze during the 

 ' winter ; but, the frost will not injure the beets, nor 

 will it injure Carrots, preserved in the same way. — 

 If you have more than ten bushels, make another 

 leap, or other heaps ; for fear of heating before 

 ihe frost comes. When that comes, all is safe till 

 spring ; and, it is in the spring, that season oi scar- 

 city, for which we ought to provide. How many 

 bushels of beets are flung about and wasted in the 

 fall, the smallest of which would be a treat in the 

 month of May ! — As to the quantity to be raised for 

 a family, eighteen rows, planted as above, across 

 one of the Plats (little more than two perches of 

 I; ground) will produce 812 beets, or nearly /owr /or 

 each day, from the first of November to the last of 

 I May; and, if they are of the size that they ought 

 j to be, here are much more than enough. Beets may 

 ' be transplanted, and will, in that way, get to a 

 good size. See Transplanting, Paragraph 169. 



