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rOE-ClNG ASPAEAGUS. 



BY J. C. CLAEKE, 



Head Gardener at Cothelston House, Taunton. 



i^W families require forced asparagus before Christmas ; 

 but as there may be exceptions to this, those who 

 require it earlier must now begin to make preparations 

 for forcing. A bed should be made, chiefly of tree 

 leaves, to lit a frame of about eight feet by six. This 

 will be sufficient for an ordinary family. If the bed is made up four 

 feet high at back and three feet six inches in front, it ought, if 

 properly put together, to furnish enough heat to mature the crop. 

 Those who intend to force early should at once lift the roots, so as 

 to send them to rest early. This applies, of course, to those who 

 expect soon to be engaged in the work; but for ordinary purposes, 

 such as those who want it at Christmas, this is not strictly 

 necessary, although well worthy of adoption when convenient. To 

 assist those who are not well acquainted with the subject, I will add 

 here that, from this time up to the end of the year, it will take six 

 weeks after it is first put into heat to bring it to perfection. In the 

 month of January it will take five weeks ; but as the season for its 

 natural start into growth is approached, the cultivator will find that 

 it requires less and less time in forcing it fit for table. It is 

 important that this should be remembered, otherwise we may find 

 that our calculations have not kept pace with the season, so that we 

 should have two crops closely following each other. Most families 

 that we have known are particularly fond of a few early dishes of 

 this useful esculent, but unfortunately they are not aware how 

 weighty a matter it is to the gardener to keep up a supply, and 

 there are but few disposed to purchase roots for the purpose of 

 forcing. 



After the bed has been made up a few days, and the frame put 

 upon it, it is much the safest plan to ascertain exactly what 

 bottom-heat there is in the bed. An old practitioner would know 

 this by placing a" stick two feet or so in the bed. After it has 

 been there some hours, he would judge to a nicety how matters 

 stood; but for inexperienced hands, I should advise that a 

 thermometer be placed an inch or two under the surface. This 

 will give him the exact temperature of the bed, which must 

 not on any account exceed 60', though 55° is a safer heat for 

 young hands, for there are more roots of asparagus killed 

 through too much bottom-heat than from any other cause during 

 the season of forcing. If it is found that there is more heat than 

 wanted, stir up the inside of the bed, and then wait a day or two 

 longer till it has cooled down ; after which put on two inches of dry 

 soil ; upon this place the roots, putting another light covering over 

 the crowns. Grenerally speaking, the steam and moisture from the 

 bed will be sufficient to damp the soil, but the operator must judge 

 for himself when this element is needed. Later in the season it will 



