SPRING-SOWN BEET AT WTSLEY, 1917. 
489 
One of the most marked differences in the varieties under trial 
was the relative size of the tops and of the space occupied by the plants. 
Several varieties with very large tops had roots no larger and no better 
in any way than others with small compact tops which would occupy 
less space in the garden. The Committee paid special attention to 
this point in recommending awards. 
The question of the harm done by cutting or breaking the root or 
abrading the skin before cooking was raised by the variety sent in 
under the name of ' Deep Blood-red Non-bleeding Beet,' Nos. 67, 68, 
69. Trial showed that though a certain amount of the red colour was 
lost from the root when it was cut into three or four pieces before 
boiling, yet its colour was still good afterwards, and it was also found 
that other well-coloured varieties might be cut before boiling with 
little detriment to the colour ; whether the pieces were first put into 
cold or into boiling water made little difference. Such cutting led to 
some loss of sugar in the cooking and, therefore, to a slight reduction 
in the food value. 
Two yellow-rooted varieties, No. 1, a round early one, and No. 70, 
a long one, were included in the trial and both would doubtless provide 
valuable food. 
The great food value of garden beet seems little recognized, and 
at times like the present, when all food is valuable, they should be much 
more frequently used as vegetables than they are. The yield from 
a given area is very high, greater perhaps than that of any other 
vegetable when large roots are grown, and the food value per pound 
is also high. 
Varieties. 
'I'. f^s 0l G d , e o n be G,0be - £ jlntennediate, Veitch's. 
3. Turnip-shaped. 30. Queen Mary. 
4. Lentz Red Turnip. 31. \ Perfection Carter's 
5. Early Model Globe. 32. }^ erlectl0n > barter s. 
6. Early Red Globe. 33. Crapaudine. 
7. Early Red Globe. 34. Massy. 
8. Early Crimson Globe. 35. Crimson Gem. 
SSwGWb?'- t Northumberland Red. 
11. Crimson Globe. 38. Covent Garden Compact Top. 
12. Crimson Ball. 39. Intermediate, E. W. King's 
13. Defiance Dark Red Turnip- No. 1. 
rooted. 40. Intermediate, E. W. King's 
14. Blood-red Turnip-rooted. No. 2. 
15. Detroit. _ 41. Green lop. 
16 Bassano. 42. Favourite. 
17. Egyptian, Turnip-rooted. 43. Cheltenham Green Leaf. 
18. Early Flat Egyptian. 44. Cheltenham Green Top (selected). 
19. Egyptian, Crosby's. 45. Cheltenham Green Leaved. 
20. Early, Edmond's. 46. Pine Apple. 
21. Columbia. 47. Pine Apple. 
22. Strasburg Dark Red. 48. Market Favourite. 
23. Queen of the Blacks. 49. Sutton's Perfection. 
24. Victoria. 50. Non Plus Ultra. 
25. Crimson Model Pear-shaped. 51. St. Osyth. 
26. | Dai . 52. Exhibition, Pragnell's. 
27. j y ' 53. Selected Red, Nutting's. 
* See footnote p. 107. 
