
New York AgricutturaL Exrrerment Sration. 555 
Beets. 
For beets the soil was prepared and the seeds planted in the 
manner described for bush beans, except that the seed was covered 
only an inch deep. The drills were eighteen inches apart. Care 
was taken to tramp the dirt firmly around the seed as described 
on page 547. When the plants were still very small they were 
thinned to eight inches apart in the row. They were then fer- 
tilized with a mixture of wood ashes and bone meal as described 
for beans. See p. 547. The surface of the soil was kept mellow 
by frequent cultivation. When ready for market the beets were 
pulled and tied in bunches of six each. The tops were then cut 
off and the lower half of one beet in each bunch was usually cut 
away so as to show the color and markings of the root in cross 
section. This was not done with the bunches shown in plate II. 
When shipped the bunches were simply packed firmly in open 
crates. The following is a list of varieties shipped: 
