The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-21
THE BEET.
Vegetable Very Profitable to the
Market Gardener


Market Gardener.
There are not many vegetables that enjoy
greater popularity than the beet. Il is
ssteemed by all classes and there are few
gardens, large or small, from which It is
excluded. When gathered when tender
and before it has become too large, boiled
thoroughly done and served properly, it
Constitutes very enjoyable DISH Sliced
and allowed to stand an hour or two in
vinegar, with the addition OF sugar, pepper,
and salt, il makes very nice nasty pickle
Many prefer 1t simply served with butter
salt and pepper. 1t is a vegetable of easy
culture, and so far as our observation goes,
as little subject TO insect depredetions or
disease as any vegetable grown ia southern
gardeus. 1t lis one of the most profit
able vegetables grown in the market
garden, especially when brought into mar
ket early in the spring.
This very early crop is made by sowing
the seed in cold frames in November IN
Middle Georgia and protecting the plants
until safe to transplant them to the open
ground in january or February. In lower
atitudes beetS can be sown in the open
ground early in the fall, needing but a
slight protection with pine straw for a very
short period of severe weather. Some win
ters no protection at all is called for in the
lower sections of the south. In Middle
Georgia sowing in open ground cannot be
safely made before the latter part of Janu-
airy, and if the january weather is very
severe, not earlier than the middle Of Feb
ruaTy.
A clayey soil is not a suitable soil in
which to make good crops of beets usually,
but If suoh soil is naturally rich or made 50
by suitable manure, by careful management
very fair crops eau be made on such soil
The beet delights in a rich sandy Ioam-the
more vegetable matter in il the better
Good old compost made we'll in advance Of
use OF stable manure, cotton seed and phos-
plate will make beets on most any kind of
soil with the aid OF good cultivation. If the
sowing is to be made early in February
preparation of the soil can be advantage
ously done early in December or a little
earlier by laying off burrows 2 or 214
feet and depositlng the stable manure,
cotton seed and phosphate with pot
ash (kainit or ashes) in the
burrows. If the rows are horizontal, so as
not to wash it matters not whether these
burrows are covered; still. if deemed lest
after applying the manure, the burrows
may be listed on and thus left until the
planting tune arrives, when the list bed
may be split open deeply and relisted pre-
paratory to sowing. When soil is poor
nitrate of soda can be used to very great
profit as top-dressing. Bonedust is a fine
fertilizer for beets, as for everything else,
but this should always be applied below the
seed, and should 60 into the burrows SIX or
ten weeks in advance of sowing. Chlorate
Of potash, however, is a specific for beets,
aud some very wonderful crops have been
produced by the use of 200 to 500 pounds as
top dressing.
Names of beets have not been multiplied
to the extent that has been the case with
moe NNn Ill
odd names appear altogether in the Amer
lean catalogues, but there are numerous
synonyms among these. There are not
many really distinct varieties For garden
culture it is not necessary to name but
three or four kinds, the 'Bassano," "Egyp-
tan" Eclipse" and "Dening's Early"
This last is surpassed by no other variety =,
but the "Bassano" is little earlier, but its
color is not so attractive as the Deniugn or
Eclipse" or Egyptian. The Eclipse is
very desirable variety, being more globu-
lar in shape than the others; has a small
top and the color rich red. Some prefer
the Long Blood" but it cannot be coEsid-
cred the equal of the turnip-shaped kinds
Just named. There are white and yellow
varieties for such as prefer these colors,
out we believe they are not near SO salable.
The Gordon Tankard" is a superior variety
Tor stock. When we'll up the young beet
plants can withstand quite severe frost,
put cold severe enough to heave the soil is
hkey to destroy them completely.
Inc soil should be thoroughly fined for
sowing, and shallow drills, not over an
ich deep, made to receive the seeds
Enough seeds should be sown to insure a
perfect stand and after being lightly covered
should have a roller of some kind run over
TEEN. The mere rolling is sufficient cover
ing usually, early in the season, when the
sun IS not hot AS soon as the plants are
well up run scuffie hoe or rake along the
rows on each side, close up. This will keep
Ine weeds in check and give the young beets
start off.
IL the, soil is rich plant can be left every
or 4 inches, in fact if the seed are not
soWn too thickly and did not fall in punches,
mere will be no need for thinning at all.
Nhen grown for table use it is not desira-
Ole to have the heets very large but have
smaller ones and more Of them. A beet the
we OF teacup is the most desirable size for
COOKING purposes, aud by taking them out
soon as they get large enough the rest
An be left to grow on TO proper size and ex-
end the season for some eight or ten weeks.
an immense yield Of beets can be obtained
~ Observing this plan.
we have always found it a good plan to
oW some radish seed thinly along in the
~" with the beets. This is a good plan,
specially on weedy or stiff soil. The
.sdl5hes soon appear lin few days and
mark the rows SO that cultivation can pro-
Csed, II necessary, even before the beets are
Sh When the radishes are grown they can
" drawn out, and without having done the
oeeJs any harm. .