BEET-ROOT 



103 



superphosphate, applied to it between 

 the rows as soon as the plants are 

 fairly established, will be found the 

 best stimulant. 



Sowing, etc. — Beet must have an 

 open situation; it never grows or 

 looks satisfactorily when grown 

 under the shade of fruit trees — a 

 position to which it is often rele- 

 gated ; but this should not be, for 

 most varieties of Beet are ornamental 

 as well as useful, and one would, 

 therefore, suppose that a conspicuous 

 place would be selected for them. 

 The time for sowing varies from the 

 beginning of April to the middle 

 •of May. In the majority of soils, 

 about April 20th will be found to 

 be the best time ; if sown too early, 

 especially if the soil be rich, it is 

 liable to run to seed, or the roots to 

 grow too large — medium-sized roots 

 being always most highly valued, 

 more particularly for salads. The 

 seed should be sown in drills 15 

 in. asunder, and i| in. deep; and 

 it should be covered in by hand — 

 a rake should not be employed for 

 this purpose, as by its use half the 

 seed is often drawn out of the drills, 

 and the plants come up irregularly. 

 Thin out the seedlings, as soon as 

 they are large enough to handle, to 

 9 in. apart in the row, and if 

 •dark, bronzy leaved kinds be grown, 

 see that the greenest-looking plants 

 are drawn out. After thinning has 

 •been completed, by means of the hoe 

 frequently loosen the soil between 

 the rows — an operation which will 

 aid the growth of the Beet, and at 

 the same time keep down the weeds. 

 If blanks, through failures, occur 

 in the rows, they should be filled 

 up with young plants in showery 

 -weather, though roots obtained in 

 this way rarely prove satisfactory, 

 'being small and irregular in growth ; 

 still, it is worth doing, if only for 

 ithe sake of appearance. 



Varieties. — As a rule, the colour 

 of the roots is the first consideration ; 

 but flavour should in our opinion 

 have precedence, rather than colour. 

 Where both are combined, however, 

 as is the case in Dell's Crimson, 

 which has many synonyms, such a 

 variety must be the best to grow ; 

 moreover, this variety has the addi- 

 tional attraction of deep crimson- 

 coloured foliage, and is of no small 

 importance as an ornamental plant. 

 Other good varieties are — Hender- 

 son's Pine-apple, Dimmick's Non- 

 pareil, Nutting's Dwarf Red, and 

 Egyptian Turnip-rooted, the last 

 being more especially valuable for 

 early summer supply, as it comes 

 into use nearly a fortnight earlier 

 than any of the long-rooted sorts. 

 It is also suited for growing on 

 shallow soils, and, although pale in 

 colour, is of excellent quality. 



Storing Beet-root. — Frost is 

 most injurious to Beet-roots, which 

 should, therefore, be dug up by the 

 end of October, or provision should 

 be made for protecting them in the 

 ground, in the event of severe weather 

 setting in. Stable litter, hay-bands, 

 or Bracken [Pteris aquilina) will 

 effectually protect Beet ; but, where 

 neatness is studied rather than utility, 

 this manner of protection should not 

 be thought of. In that case, the roots 

 should be dug up at the time men- 

 tioned above, and " clamped " in the 

 same way as Potatoes ; or they may 

 be layered in dry soil or sand, in a 

 cool shed, — but it must be really 

 cool, or they will start into growth, 

 and the flavour will go. 



For market-garden culture, a 

 good crop of Beet-root is very remu- 

 nerative, and when there is a ready 

 sale for it in the market it pays 

 better than any other root crop. 

 The main sowing is made to succeed 

 Wallflowers, Radishes, Spinach, or 

 Cabbages, and it is also often grown 



