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^here nrefome pciTons who plant tke fectls oF Afpa- 

 ^ao-us in the place where the roots are to remain, which 

 !s a very ^--ood niethod, if it is performed with care. 

 The 'way is this: after the ground has been well 

 trenched and dunged, they lay it level, and draw a 

 line crofs the ground (in the fame manner as is prac- 

 tifed for planting of the young plants ;) then with a 

 dibble make holes at a foot ditlancc, into each of 

 which they drop tv/o feeds, for fear one fliould mif- 

 carry ; thefe holes Iholild not be more than half an 

 inch deep ; then'cover the feeds, by ftriking the earth 

 in upon ir, and ^p on removing the line a foot back 

 for another row •; and after four rows are finilhed, 

 leave a fpace for an alley between the beds, if it is 

 deHcmed to ftand for the natural feafon of cutting •, but 

 if itis to be tdken up for hot-beds, there may be fix 

 i-ows planted in each bed, and the diftance in the 

 rows need not be more than nine inches. This fhould 

 be performed by the middle of February, bccaufe tlie 

 feeds lie long in the ground; but if Onions are in- 

 tended to be fown upon the ground, that may be per- 

 formed a fortnight or three weeks after, provided 

 the ground is, not ftirred fo deep' as to difturb the 

 Afparagus-feeds, in raking the Onion-feeds into the 



ground.' " ,' ' ^ / ■ 



As the roots of Afparagus always fend forth many 



long fibres which run deep into the ground, fowhen 



the feeds are fov/n where they are to remain, the root 



will not be broken or injured, as thofe muft be which 



are transplanted ; therefore will llioot deeper into the 



ground, and make much greater progrefs, and the 



fibres will pufh out on every fide, which will caufe 



the crown of the root to be in the center ; whereas in 



tranfplanting, the roots are made flat againlt the fide 



of the trench. 



When the Afparagus is come up, and the Onions 

 have raifed their feed-leaves upright (which will be in 

 fix weeks after planting) you muft with a fmall hoe 

 cut up all the weeds, and thin the crop of Onions 

 where they may have come up in bunches : but this 

 muft be done carefully, and in dry weather, that the 

 Weeds may die as faft as they are cut up, being care- 

 ful not to injure the young ftioots of Afparagus, as 

 alfo to cut up the Onions which grow near the fhoots. 

 This work muft be repeated about three' times, 

 which, if well done, arid the feafon not too wet, will 

 keep the ground clear from weeds until the Onions 

 are fit to be pulled up, which is commonly in Au- 

 guft, and is known when their greens fall down and 

 bep-in to wither. When you have drawn off the Oni- 

 ons', it will be neceffary to clean the ground well from 

 weeds, v/hich will keep it clean till the alleys are dug 

 to earth the beds, which muft be done in Odober, 

 when the haulm is. decayed; for if you cut off the 

 haulm while green, the roots will Hioot frefti again, 

 which y/ill greatly weaken them. This young haulm 

 Ihould'be cut oft' with a knife, leaving the ftems two 

 inches above ground, which will be a guide for you 

 todiftinguifh the beds from the alleys; then with a 

 hoe clear off the v/eeds into the alleys, and dig up 

 the alleys, burying the weeds in the bottom, and 

 throv/ the earth upon the beds, fo that the beds may 

 be about four or five inches above the level of the 



alle\ 



^s : 



then a row of Coleworts may be planted in 



the middle of the alleys, but never fow or plant any 

 thino- upon the beds, which would greatly weaken 

 the roots ; nor would I, ever advife tht planting of 

 Beans in the alleys, as is the praflice of many ; for 

 that greatly damages the two outfide rows of Afpa- 

 ragus. In this manner it muft remain till fpring, when 

 fonie time in March, the beds fliould be hoed over, 

 to deftroy all young weeds ; then rake them fmooth, 

 and obieive all the facceeding fummer to keep them 

 clear from v/eeds, and in Odober dig up the alleys 

 again, as was before direded, earthing the beds, &c. 

 Tlie fecond fpring after planting, fome perfons begin 

 to cut fom.e of the buds of Afparagus for ufe, though 

 It would be much better to ftay until the third year; 

 therefore now the beds fliould be forked with a flat- 

 pronged fork m.adc on purpofe, which is commonly 



T 





called an Afparagus -fork 1 this muft be done before 



the buds begin to flioot in the fpring, and fliould be 

 performed with care, left you fork too deep, and 

 bruife the head of the root ; then rake the beds over 

 fmooth, juft before the buds appear above ground, 

 which will deftroy all young weeds, and^ keep your 

 beds clean much longer than if left unraked, or if 

 done fo foon as forked. When the buds appear about 

 four inches above ground, you may then cut them ; 

 but it fliould be done fparingly, only taking the large 

 buds, andfuffering the fmall'to run up to ttrengthcn 

 the roots ; for the more you cut, the greater will be 

 the increafe of buds, but they will be fmaller and the 

 roots fooner decay. In cutting the buds, you muft 

 open the ground v/ith your knife (which fhould be 

 very narrow-pointed, and long in the blade, and filed 

 with teeth like a faw) to fee whether any more youno- 

 buds are coming up clofe .by it, v/hich might be 

 either broken or bruifed in cutting the other, then 

 with the knife faw it off about two inches under 

 ground. This may appear a very troublefome affalt' 

 to people unacquainted with the praftical part, but 

 thofe who are employed in cutting Afparagus, will 

 perform a great deal of this work in a fliort time ; 

 but care in doing it is abfolutely neceftary to be ob- 

 ferved by'all who cut Afparagus. ■ 

 The manner of drefllng the Afparagus-beds is eveiy 

 year the fame as dircfted for the fecond, viz. Iceep- 

 ing them clean from v/eeds in fum.mer, digc;ing the 

 . alleys in Odobcr, and forking the beds toward the 

 end of March, &c. only obferve every otiicr year to 

 lay fome rotten dung (from a Melon or Cucumber- 

 bed) all over the beds, burying fome in the alleys 

 alfo, at the time for digging them up. This will 

 preferve the ground in heart to maintain the roots in 

 vigour, and by this management, a plot of good Af- 

 paragus may be continued for ten or twelve years in 

 cutting, and will produce good buds, efpecialiy if it 

 is not cut too long each feafon ; for when it is not left 

 to run up pretty early in June, the roots will be 

 greatly weakened, and the buds will be fmaller : 

 therefore, in thofe families where Afparagus is re- 

 quired late in the feafon, a few beds fliould be fet 

 apart for that purpofe, which will be much better 

 than to injure the v/hole plantation, by cutting it too 



long. 



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I cannot help taking notice of a commoa error, that 

 has long prevailed with many people, which is.,^ that 

 of not dunging the ground for Afparagus, berlieving 

 that the dung commiUnicates a ftrong rank tafte to 

 the Afparagus, which is a great miftake, for the fv/cet- 

 eft Afparagus is that which grows upon the richeft 

 ground ; for poor land occafions that rank tafte fo 

 often complained of, the fweetnefs of Afparagus be- 

 ing occafioned by the quicknefs of its growth, which 

 is always proportionable to the goodnefs of the ground, 

 and the warmth of the feafons. In order to prove 

 - this, I planted two beds of Afparagus, upon ground 

 which had dung laid a foot thick; and thcle beds 

 were every year dunged extremely thick, and the Af- 

 paragus produced from thefe beds was much fwecter 

 than any I could procure, though they were boiled 

 together in the fame water. 



The quantity of ground neceffary to be planted with 

 Afparagus, to fupply a frnaU family, fliould be at 

 leaft eight rods, lefs than that will not do; for if you 

 cannot cut one hundred at a time, it will fcarccly be 

 worth while, for you muft be obliged to keep it after 

 it is cut two or three days, efpecialiy in cold feafons, 

 to furnifli enough for one mefs ; but for a larger fa- 

 mily, fixteen rods of ground fliould be planted, which, 

 if a good crop, will furnifli two or three hundred each 

 day in the height of the feafon. 

 But as there are feveral people who delight in having 

 early Afparagus, which is become a very o-reat trade 

 in the kitchen-gardens near London, I fliall give 

 proper diredions for the obtaining it any time in 

 winter. 



You miuft firft be provided with a quantity of good 

 roots (either of your own raifing, or purchafed from 



fuch 



