Beet, Sea. Syn. Be′ta marit′ima, L. Said to be the best variety for dressing as spinach.
Beet, White. Syn. Be′ta al′ba, B. vulga′′ris a., B. ci′cla, L.; Bette blanche, Poirée, &c., Fr. A sub-variety of the red beet. Root white, and hence preferred for making sugar; that with a purple crown being the most esteemed.
Obs. The preceding varieties of beet resemble each other in their general properties. They are all antiscorbutic, detergent, emollient, and nutritious; and their roots contain about 8% of sugar, which, by proper treatment, may be obtained from them of excellent quality. The grated root is sometimes used to dress blisters and foul ulcers. When sliced, and dried in a malt-kiln, a very palatable beer may be brewed with it. The leaves of each variety are dressed and eaten like spinach. The roots, for the table, after being carefully washed, are dressed whole—neither scraped nor cut—and, according to their size and age, require from 1 to 4 hours’ simmering or baking. They are mostly served in slices, cold, intermingled with other winter salad vegetables. See Brewing, Cattle, Salads, Sugar, &c. (also antè).
BEET ROOT. See Beet.
BEE′TLE (bē′tl). Syn. Scar′ab†*, Scar′abee†* (-bē); Scärabæ′us, L.; Escarbot, Scarabeé, Fr.; Käfer, Ger.; Betel, Sax. In zoology, the common name of an extensive genus of insects (scarabæ′us, Linn.), of numerous species. It is also popularly applied to all coleopterous insects, or such as have hard or shelly wing-cases, especially to those of a dark or obscure colour. The common pests of our kitchens and basement floors which pass familiarly under the name of beetles, black beetles, or cockroaches, belong to the order orthoptera, and not to the coleoptera or beetle tribe, as the name implies. See Insects, &c.
Black Beetle; Domes′tic beetle. See Blatta, Cockroach, &c.
Blis′tering Beetle. See Cantharides.
BELL. Syn. Campa′na,[128] Campan′ula,[129] No′la*,[130] Tintinnab′ulum,[131] L.; Cloche, Clochette,[132] Grelot,[133] Fr.; Glocke, Schelle, &c., Ger.; Bell, Bella, Belle, Sax. A hollow vessel or body, usually of cast metal, with a wide cup-like mouth expanding outwards, so formed as to emit sound when suspended and struck with a hard substance. The word is also applied, either alone or in composition, to substances having the figure of a bell; as bells (of flowers), bell-animal, b.-flower, b.-glass, &c.
[128] Appropriately, a large bell suspended or adapted for suspension; as that of a church, &c.
[129] A small bell.