CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
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classes ; namely, root oblate or top-shaped, root oval, 
root half-long and root long-conical. Each of these 
classes is divided into subclasses based on color — red or 
yellow. The four types of beets which have been devel- 
oped from Beta vulgaris are common garden beet, sugar 
beet, mangel or mangel-wurzel, and Swiss chard, which 
last is used for greens. The following varieties of garden 
beets are the most important: 
Egyptian. Various strains or selections of this variety 
are offered by seedsmen. It is an early, turnip-shaped 
beet and largely planted. Crosby’s Egyptian is probably 
the selection that is most extensively grown. 
Eclipse, extra early, round and smooth ; top small ; 
flesh intense red and high in quality; popular for home 
use and market. 
Early Model, a very early round beet of high quality. 
Early Blood Turnip. Several strains of beets are 
known under names similar to this and are popular with 
many growers because of earliness, quality and yield. 
Detroit Dark Red is a mid-season or late beet that is 
medium in size, dark in color, and of fine quality. It is 
considered of particular value for canning, though also 
grown for home use and for market. 
Yellow Turnip, an early, yellow, sweet-fleshed variety. 
Not as popular as red varieties. 
Long Dark Red, a long-rooted late variety valued by 
some people for winter use. Should have deep soils. 
322. Planting. — The beet seed sold in the United 
States is produced in California, the Middle States, 
England and France. A small percentage of market 
gardeners grow their own seed. As the plant is biennial, 
in order to produce seed the roots must be preserved 
over winter (325) and planted in the spring as soon as 
the ground can be prepared. The seed plants grow to 
the height of about 4 feet and branch profusely ; there- 
fore the roots should be planted about 2x3 feet apart. 
