THE BEET, AS A SUBSTITUTE FOB, THE POTATO. 
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'Viviparous ; increasing by buds falling 
from the stem. 
Volubilis ; twining, having the property of 
twisting round another body. 
Wood; the principal bulk of the stem, 
lying intermediate between the bark and the 
pith. 
THE BEET, AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE 
POTATO. 
The deficiencies arising from the extensive 
failure of the potato crop in 1845 and 1846, 
and the uncertainty which hangs over that 
of future years, in consequence of mystery 
as to its cause, make it desirable that other 
plants, capable of supplying food to man, 
should to a certain extent be cultivated instead 
of the potato ; at least by the poor, and those 
who at all depend on their garden produce. 
Many substitutes have been pointed out : 
among the rest, beet, carrots, parsnips, and 
turnips, among roots, have been suggested, 
while an increased amount of corn-crops of 
various kinds have been recommended. 
Nothing appears likely to answer the pur- 
pose so well as the Beet-root. Rich in the 
elements of nutrition, it is particularly adapted 
to enter largely into the composition of bread; 
the roots, when properly cooked, form an ex- 
cellent and nutritive vegetable; and the leaves 
may be used as spinach, — at all events they 
are excellent as fodder for cows, for sheep, 
and for pigs. The plant, too, is of easy 
cultivation ; the crop is almost a certain one ; 
and the seed is not costly at the outset. 
To the cottager, then, and to the small 
holder, this crop may be strongly recom- 
mended ; and such cultivators should also be 
recommended on the other hand, not to depend 
upon the potato, until at least the experience 
of a few more years has shown the " disease" to 
have passed away. 
Compared with potatoes, the nutritive pro- 
perties of beet-root would be represented by 
1020, potatoes being 433 ; and in regard to 
useful produce of all kinds, the beet would be 
represented by 8330, potatoes being repre- 
sented by 3480. In bulk, therefore, as well 
as in quality, the beet-root has greatly the ad- 
vantage. A few hints on the cultivation and 
preparation of this crop for food, will not 
therefore be inopportune. 
Varieties. — The common Beet (Beta vul- 
garis), has given rise to numerous varieties ; 
some of which are regarded as garden roots, 
while others are preferred for field-culture; of 
the latter class are those varieties known as 
the mangold wurtzel, or field beet. Where 
the crop is grown with any view to the feeding 
of stock, this field-beet is to be preferred, on 
account of the bulk of its produce ; which, 
under good management, is enormous ; but, 
viewed simply as a garden crop, the garden 
varieties of the beet are preferable, being less 
coarse in texture, smaller in size, and there- 
fore more convenient in a culinary point of 
view : probably there is little actual difference 
in the qualities of the garden and field beet, 
but in cases of this kind it is desirable to grow 
close solid roots of moderate size, in preference 
to larger ones ; which are often hollow, and 
always inconvenient. 
The following varieties are chiefly recom- 
mended : — for earliness, the turnip-rooted 
red Beet ; for bulk of crop, the large-rooted 
red Beet, and the large yellow Beet ; and 
for flavour, the dwarf red Beet, and the 
yellow Castlenaudari Beet. The first may 
be sown early, to meet present wants as soon 
as possible ; the next will be the most pro- 
fitable to grow for the purpose of mixing 
with flour to form bread ; the others, more 
particularly where the roots are intended for 
cooking as a vegetable. 
Culture. — A deep, rich, and somewhat 
sandy soil, is the most suited for the culti- 
vation of the Beet-root. This should be 
deeply trenched, and well drained, besides 
having the advantage of good culture in other 
respects, to bring it to a free open texture. 
Such ground should be trenehed, say two feet 
deep, in the early part of the winter. If the 
soil is not so deep as this, the subsoil is not to 
be brought up to cover the good soil ; but 
simply broken up to that depth in the bottom 
of the trench. The rougher the ridges are 
laid the better, so that the frost may penetrate. 
During frosty weather, and the piercing winds 
of March, these ridges may be once or twice 
turned over to expose a fresh surface of the 
soil to the atmosphere. Whatever manure 
is applied, should be in a well decomposed 
state, and should be applied at the time of 
trenching, being then well mixed throughout the 
whole bulk of the soil. Fresh rank dung should 
never be applied. In the trenching, and the 
subsequent operations of forking over the soil, 
this one great object should be kept steadily 
in view, viz. : — to reduce the soil to a 
uniform fine tilth, no large rough unbroken 
clods being allowed to remain, and the 
large stones — where they exist — being 
removed. 
By the latter end of March, or early in 
April, the first crop may be sown. Previous 
to this, the ground must be forked over again, 
the ridges being at this time levelled down, 
and all the large clods which remain being 
broken to pieces. Fine dry weather should be 
chosen for this operation, as it cannot be pro- 
secuted fairly under other circumstances. The 
exact time of sowing must be regulated in 
some degree by the season : if the weather is 
