210 



Cultivation of Beet. 



And stonebrash that has a good depth of soil — say six or 

 eight inches above the rock. 

 7. Fresh broken-up pasture of almost any description^ ex- 

 cepting down or very light land. 



Those which are not suited for the growth of beet are — 



1. Light sands and gravels. 



2. Chalk. 



3. Very stiff clay. 



2. The preparation of the Land for Beet. 

 3. Manuring. 

 4. Time and mode of sowing. 



Like other roots^ mangold- wurzel succeeds best with deep cul- 

 tivation, and where it can be practised, the subsoil-plough should 

 be used, but there is land which cannot be subsoiled, and yet 

 produces excellent crops : for instance, the land drained with 

 shallow earth-drains, as in Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, 

 and Suffolk, the drains would be injured by the double ploughing, 

 and hence on these soils a deep ploughing can only be given. 

 On the stonebrash soils, subsoiling cannot be practised with much- 

 effect, as the share comes in contact with the hard rock ; in all 

 probability, there is not much benefit derived from breaking up 

 the rocky subsoil too much at once, as roots of plants readily find 

 a way through the many interstices that occur in the shattered 

 subsoil. The peat soils are generally of so light a texture that 

 no advantage could be expected from subsoiling, as it would give 

 a still looser texture, which it ought to be the endeavour of the 

 farmer to consolidate. On land with a retentive subsoil, and 

 where deep draining is practised, subsoiling will be useful, as 

 affording a greater depth of soil for the roots to derive food from, 

 which, if not broken through, would in all probability hinder 

 their downward progress. On gravelly and sandy land the deep 

 ploughing will give a greater depth of soil, the advantage of 

 which will be, that the roots will strike in deeper in search of 

 nutriment, and consequently will be further from the surface, and 

 less liable to feel the effects of drought ; for it is a well-known 

 fact, that a deeply-pulverised soil retains and attracts moisture 

 during dry weather much better than a solid unbroken soil. As 

 a general rule, beet is grown as a fallow crop after wheat or oats, 

 and followed by barley or wheat. 



We shall first consider the preparation of light land that does 

 not require draining for beet ; not that we consider that this de- 

 scription of soil is more favourable to its growth than any other, 

 for it is on rich loams and clays that beet is of such peculiar value 



