BEET. 



45 



and thus, by one motion, will the whole of the top of each 

 root, except the small leaves to be left to form a fresh head^ 

 be removed without unsettling the root or its fibres, whicl 

 would check its growth. Some affirm, that stripping tht 

 plant of its leaves is no injury to the root, and others are ot 

 opinion that the root is injured by this means. We have 

 doubts, whether, in field cultivation, it will often be deemea 

 expedient to expend time and labour in this manner. The 

 thinnings, or superfluous plants, however, should be pre 

 served, as they make excellent food for milch cows or store 

 swine. 



Some cultivators affirm, that it is never worth the trouble 

 to transplant these roots to fill vacancies. " I have seen," 

 says an English v^^riter, " maich labour and expense em- 

 ployed in transplanting into vacant spots, when the seed 

 has been dibbled thick enough, but have never seen the 

 transplanted roots worth half the trouble; the tap root 

 being broken in the drawing, nothing but the top, and use- 

 less rough roots and fangs are produced. It has been re- 

 marked by other writers, that the most common cause of 

 failure in transplanting this root is the taking of them up 

 when too small, before the plants have obtained strength 

 and size sufficient to bear the operation of transplanting. 



Use, — The following remarks are from a paper commu- 

 nicated to the trustees of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Society, by J. Lowell, Esq. president of said society. They 

 are derived, principally, from a French publication, by the 

 Abbe Rosier: — 



" This root is very little affected by changes of weather. 

 It is attacked by no insect ; drought affects but little its 

 vegetation. It prepares the land extremely well for other 

 crops. It may be sown and treated precisely like the com- 

 mon beet, except that it ought to stand eighteen inches 

 asunder. 



" In good land, they often weigh nine or ten pounds, and 

 are stripped eight or nine times. In a light, sandy, but well 

 manured soil, they sometimes weigh fourteen and even six- 

 teen pounds each ! 



" The first crop of leaves in France is taken off in the 

 Ifttter end of June, or the beginning of July. In this coun- 

 tr/^ probably, the latter period would be preferable. The 

 lower leaves, those which incline towards the ground, are 



