140 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



the same purposes. One ounce of seed is suf- 

 ficient to sow a bed, for^ transplanting, of 50 

 square feet. 



Propagation. — It is best to sow the seed 

 annually, first, in the beginning of March, 

 and again in September — the latter to 

 supply leaves late in autumn and early 

 in the following spring. 



Sowing and planting. — Always sow in 

 drills, a foot apart for the smaller sorts, 

 and from 15 to 18 inches for the larger. 

 Should failures take place in the crop, 

 the deficiences may be made good by 

 thinning out where the plants have come 

 up too thick, and transplanting them into 

 the vacancies. The beet transplants well, 

 and therefore, should ground be scarce at 

 sowing time, the seed may be sown in 

 beds, and the plants transplanted after- 

 wards when ground is clear, taking care 

 that in planting the roots be not doubled 

 up. 



Subsequent cultivation. — Thin the plants 

 when about 6 inches in height to the dis- 

 tance of from 9 inches to a foot apart, ac- 

 cording as the sort is large or small. 



"In cultivating the Swiss chard, the 

 plants are frequently watered during 

 summer, to promote the succulency of 

 the stalks ; and in winter they are pro- 

 tected with litter, and sometimes earthed 

 up, partly for this purpose, and partly to 

 blanch the stalks. Fresh chards are thus 

 obtained from August till May. When 

 the garden sorts of white beet are trans- 

 planted, the proper time is during moist 

 weather in May or June. The distance 

 from plant to plant may be from 10 to 

 14 inches— much of the advantage of 

 transplanting depending on the room thus 

 afforded the plants, together with the 

 general disposition of transplanted an- 

 nuals, with fusiform roots, as the turnip, 

 carrot, &c. to throw out leaves and lateral 

 radicles." — Encyc. of Gard., 841. 



Soil and manure. — The soil requires to 

 be deeply trenched, and of a fair staple 

 quality ; and as the quality of the crop 

 depends on the size and fleshiness of the 

 midribs when chard is intended, and on 



the breadth and succulency of the foliage 

 when it is grown as a substitute for 

 spinach, it follows that the soil should be 

 rich, or rendered so by copious manur- 

 ing. 



Taking the crop. — The largest and full- 

 est grown leaves should be gathered first; 

 others will follow. If grown for spinach, 

 the leaves should be rinsed in clean water, 

 placed in a basket to drain dry, and so 

 sent to the kitchen. If for chard, the 

 foot-stalks should be carefully preserved, 

 and their leaves tied up in bundles of 6 

 or 8 in each. Twelve stalks, with the 

 leaves entire, will be sufficient for a dish. 



Sorts and their qualities. — The common white 

 has small roots ; the ribs, foot- stalks, and leaves 

 of a delicate greenish-white colour. 



The large white, or Swiss chard, has its leaves 

 much larger and thicker ; the foot-stalks and 

 ribs are much larger and much whiter. In 

 those parts of the Continent where this plant is 

 much grown for chard, there are several sub- varie- 

 ties in cultivation. The green beet, and yellow- 

 rooted varieties of Beta vulgaris, are also often 

 grown for a similar purpose. The large Swiss 

 chard is, however, the best. Another variety 

 grown is Beta maritima (sea-beet), a plant indi- 

 genous to our sea-coast. In seed catalogues we 

 find the following names — Golden-veined, small 

 rooted, green-leaved, red-veined, silver or white 

 veined, commonly called silver beet. Brazilian 

 beet (Beta Braziliensis) has very large green 

 leaves, and makes an excellent substitute for 

 spinach, but is rather more tender than the 

 green sort. 



Insects and diseases. — The beets are not very 

 subject to either the one or the other. The 

 Haltica nemorum (the turnip flea-beetle), how- 

 ever, often attacks them, for which see section 

 Turnip. 



General remarks. — The European names are — 

 Bette or poiree in French ; Biet in Dutch ; Acel- 

 ga in Spanish ; Mangold - kraut in German ; 

 Biettola in Italian. To save seed, a few of the 

 best formed roots should be selected and kept 

 out of the frost during winter, and planted in a 

 warm well-exposed spot in spring. When the 

 flower-stalks have attained the height of 2 or 3 

 feet, support them with stakes. The seeds 

 will ripen in September. When dry, thrash 

 them out; and keep them, when thoroughly 

 dried, in paper bags till wanted. The roots of 

 the varieties of white beet are not adapted for 

 the table. 



