282 Account of the Species and Varieties of Beets. 



has more leaves, and they are dwarfer and more spreading. 

 To distinguish this and the preceding sort from the next, 

 the French call them La Disette Rouge, ou Rose. 



The Bette-rave Grosse Blanche de Prusse, or La Disette 

 Blanche, is not grown in England, but it is raised in Germany; 

 its root both externally and internally is white. Its name ex- 

 plains that it came from Prussia. The first notice I had of it was 

 in M.Vilmorin's Catalogue of seeds, and being one of the sorts 

 sent to the Horticultural Society by him last spring, it was 

 grown in their garden. The root grows below the ground ; 

 it is very fibrous, carrot-shaped, but sometimes swollen in 

 the centre, about ten inches long, and five or six inches in 

 diameter in its widest part ; the coat of the root is greenish 

 where exposed to the air; the leaves are dwarf and spreading ; 

 they are green without tinge of other colour. This seems a 

 very inferior sort for agricultural purposes ; it may, however, 

 be hardier, and stand weather better, and perhaps yield good 

 sugar. A Beet with a white edible root, is mentioned in some 

 gardening books, probably this is what is meant, but as it is 

 earthy, stringy, and coarse, it cannot be recommended. 



The cultivation of the large-rooted Beets belonging exclu- 

 sively to Agriculture, it is unnecessary to notice it in this place; 

 but I cannot avoid expressing my surprise that no fair trial, 

 on a large scale, seems to have been made in this country 

 with the Yellow Beet, for farming purposes. There can be 

 no doubt that it possesses nutritive properties, superior to 

 those of the Mangel Wurzel, or any varieties of the Red Beet; 

 its firm substance and strong saccharine juice give it this 

 advantage ; and I am inclined to think, from its habit and 



