254 



HOW TO FORCE ASPARAGUS. 



To have tins excellent vegetable in 

 winter, recourse must be bad to arti- 

 ficialmeans for acceleratingits growth, 

 and bv this means we can have it 

 from November, till it naturally comes 

 in tbe open garden tbrougb the sun's 

 influence. To bave it tbus is notbing 

 new, yet tbere are better means for 

 effecting tbis at tbe present day tban 

 those formerly known and practised. 



The usual metbod of forcing bas 

 been witb dung-beds ; but now tbe 

 system of forcing in pits is beginning 

 to become genera!, and is in every 

 respect much better tban tbe former. 

 The pits can be erected at a moderate 

 expense ; and witb a trifling addi- 

 tional outlay we can have asparagus 

 during the whole of tbe winter : and 

 I may here mention that a few roots 

 of rhubarb may be introduced, which 

 in the winter months is always an 

 acquisition ; and for small salading, 

 and other things which occupy but 

 little space, they will be found very 

 useful. It is not necessary that these 

 pits should be formed with more than 

 six or eight of the ordinary-sized 

 garden lights ; and where a general 

 succession is required, tbere should 

 be two such pits in use for that pur- 

 pose. They should be heated with 

 hot-water pipes or smoke flues: hot 

 water is the best, and by adopting it 

 the two pits may be readily heated 

 from one boiler, with the necessary 

 stop-cocks. The pits should be so 

 constructed that the plants will be 

 near the glass, that they may enjoy 

 the benefit of the sun when in a 

 growing state ; this is a particular 

 point to be noticed in forcing aspa- 

 ragus as well as other plants. 



The roots to be forced should at 

 least be six years old, and such that 

 have sent up strong stems the pre- 

 ceding summer : the plants thus 

 selected and intended for this pur- 

 pose should either be covered with 

 rough litter to prevent the frost en- 

 tering the ground where they are ; or 

 otherwise they should be taken up 

 and deposited in sand, where they 

 will not become too dry. In the pits, 

 when prepared for them, there should 



be three or four inches of soil placed : 

 the roots of the plants should as 

 much as possible be preserved at the 

 time of lifting, and they should be 

 placed in the pits as level as possible : 

 then, with a sieve sift among the 

 roots some fine soil, decayed tan, 

 leaves, or anything that is light, and 

 will readily fall in among them ; this 

 must be done to the depth of four or 

 five inches ; then give the whole a 

 good watering to settle the soil ; close 

 the pit, and keep it so till vegetation 

 commenees, and then air must be ad- 

 mitted freely, and all the light that 

 can possibly be secured : this mate- 

 rially assists in getting the buds of a 

 fine green colour and good flavour. 

 The temperature of the pits may 

 range from 45" to 6CF Fahrenheit ; but 

 I recommend 50' and 55° as the high- 

 est, unless it is required to provide a 

 supply for some particular day. 

 Where pits are heated by hot water, 

 it is an easy matter to steam them, 

 which is highly beneficial when the 

 plants are in a state of vegetation. 

 Thus managed, the plants require but 

 little water, particularly in the winter 

 months ; but it must be borne in 

 mind that when it is required and 

 applied, it must be of the same tem- 

 perature as the pit in which the 

 plants are growing. Where a gene- 

 ral succession is wanted, this method 

 will be found to answer : a fresh plan- 

 tation must, however, be made about 

 every twelve or eighteen days. It is 

 not necessary in forcing asparagus 

 that it should have bottom-heat ; but 

 where a small quantity is required, it 

 is often forced on dung-beds, and in 

 such cases I would advise the grower 

 to be cautious against a strong bot- 

 tom-heat, which, accompanied by the 

 steam from the dung, is injurious to 

 the plants when in a growing state. 

 Where it is wanted, even in small 

 quantities, I strongly recommend the 

 frame to be placed on brickwork, 

 with pigeon-holes in it ; and the bot- 

 tom may be covered with slate or 

 bricks, and thus the steam will en- 

 tirely be prevented from getting 

 among the plants. 



