bed of light earth, under a warm aspect, with the view of protecting them from the severe frost, and of transplanting them to warm borders in the spring. The width of a garden-frame will be found sufficient ground for planting the beans. If there is a frame to spare, place it over them; and in frosty weather the lights can be put on and otherwise protected with garden mats and dry litter: on no account omit giving a supply of fresh air in mild weather, or the plants will be drawn up weakly, and spoiled. They remain in the bed till February or March, when, as soon as the weather admits, transplant them into a warm south border, in rows two feet apart, or by the warm side of the alleys between the asparagus beds, which, with care, will not interfere with the work necessary to be done to them in the spring. In removing the bean plants from the seed-bed, ease them out with all their roots, and with as much mould as will adhere to them. Their after-culture only requires a little earthing up, and their tops to be pinched off when in bloom.

By the above mode of treatment the fruiting of the beans will be accelerated at least ten days or a fortnight before any that are planted in the open ground, let the weather be ever so favourable; besides, in severe weather, there will be a certainty of a crop.

For a succession, any of the early kinds may be planted at the end of November and in December. A new early variety of the long-pod, raised by Messrs. Field and Child, of Thames Street, London, is a most excellent one for the purpose. The Mazagan'

bean is now generally planted for the very early

crops.

For the first principal crop of beans, any of the sorts may be sown in drills; the large beans, two feet and a half apart between the rows, and three inches in the rows, and the same depth: the smaller varieties are not planted quite so far apart, and not so deep; two inches being sufficient. If the weather is mild, the latter end of January or the beginning of February will be a proper time for planting them, in some good, rich, mellow ground.

For the next principal and full-succession crops, plant again in March and April, and so continue till June and July, when the small early kinds again become the most proper, as their hardiness fits them for standing late as well as early. For late productions, the green nonpareil, toker, and early long-pods are the best: the white-blossomed bean is also a very desirable sort for secondary crops, both in the general and late planting season. For the main summer crops, adopt principally the broad Windsor, long-pod, and green nonpareil varieties.

In planting late crops in June and July, if the weather is dry, the beans may be soaked in soft water for several hours previous to being planted; or the drills can be watered, and the beans put in and covered up directly, while the earth remains moist.

The following expedient is sometimes resorted to in order to obtain a late crop: Select a few rows of beans planted at the usual season in March, and when the flowers appear, cut them down to within a few inches of the ground. New stems will spring from the root, and produce a very late crop of beans.

Nothing is required to be done, after the beans are three or four inches high, but to hoe up some earth to the stems, on both sides of each row, and to clear away the weeds. Repeat the hoeing as future weeds arise, both to keep the ground about the plants clear, and to loosen the earth in order to encourage their growth.

As the different crops come into full blossom, pinch off the tops, in order to promote their fruiting sooner, in a more plentiful production of wellfilled pods: this is also a preventive against the black blight, which so often attacks this crop, especially in confined situations. The pods are fit to gather for the table when they attain about half the size which they should possess at maturity. If left longer, they become black-eyed, tough, and strongtasted, and very inferior for use.

Beta takes its name from the shape of its seedvessel, which, when it swells with seed, has the form of the letter so called in the Greek alphabet.

The beet is a native of Sicily and of the seacoast of the south of Europe. It was introduced into this country, with many other culinary plants, in the year 1548.

There are six varieties of the beet in cultivation for culinary purposes, but some are much more extensively used than others. The following list gives the name, merit, and use of each:

1. Red Beet. This sort is highly valued for its large red root, which often grows twelve or fifteen

inches long, and three or four inches thick. The roots being tender, sweet, and palatable, are boiled, then sliced and eaten cold, with vinegar, &c.; they are also sliced and scraped in salads, both as an eatable ingredient, and by way of garnish; they also make an agreeable pickle. A beet-root, sliced up with a Reading or Portugal onion boiled also in soft water, will be found a very nice condiment with cold meat, if mixed with spices and vinegar, and an egg or two boiled hard. The root itself, if eaten alone, affords but little nourishment; it is, therefore, generally used as a luxury.

2. Turnip-rooted Beet is an earlier variety, and much shorter and thicker than the former, but is equally good in every respect for use in both sorts those that are of the largest growth and darkest red colour are the most valuable.

3. White Beet (Beta Cicla) was brought to England from Portugal in the year 1570, and is in much esteem for the stalks and ribs of the large leaves, which, being divested of the leafy part, and peeled, are great improvers of soup, and useful also for stewing, and to be dressed and eaten like asparagus: the leaves themselves are fine pot-herbs. The above three varieties are mostly cultivated for culinary use.

4. Green-leaved Beet is much grown in Scotland, and is used for the same purposes as the white; but it is not so much esteemed, being smaller and less delicate. It is fit for use all the winter.

5. Yellow or Mangel Worzel Beet is principally grown as a valuable agricultural plant, for feeding cattle, and making sugar. The roots grow to a large

size, but are greatly inferior, for culinary purposes, both to the red beet and most other of our esculent roots. They are sometimes dressed like carrots or parsnips, sliced and served up with melted butter, but are generally mawkish and unpalatable. The leaves, however, are of most value; and, if the plants have room enough, they will grow twelve or fifteen inches broad, and to a considerable length: the young, thick, fleshy stalks, divested of the lamina of the leaf, peeled or scraped, and then boiled and served up with butter, are tender and agreeable to the taste. The green leaves are also occasionally dressed as spinach, which it much resembles.

6. Silver or Sea-kail Beet.-This sort is considered by some to be superior to the Beta Cicla: it is much cultivated in the neighbourhood of Southampton, on account of its large midribs, which, when cooked, resemble sea-kail. The author saw some fine improved specimens of this variety growing in Mr. Rogers's nursery a few weeks since; he also tasted the stalks and leaves cooked, both of which he considers very palatable and wholesome.

A large quantity of sugar can be obtained from the beet-root; and it has of late been extensively cultivated for that purpose, especially in France and Germany.

Culture.- Little art is required in the cultivation of the beet; all the varieties are raised from seed sown annually in March or April, in the place where the plants are to remain; for it will not do to transplant them, if a large, clean, well-grown root is wanted.

The soil in which it grows best is a deep, rich,