226 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



then cut it off level with the surface. 

 This mode was first suggested by Mr. 

 Wheeler, aud is a great impi-ovemeut 

 on the plans recommended in the 

 older works on gardening. Indeed, 

 in old times, asparagus was very 

 mucli hacked about by those not ex- 

 pert in cutting it, and the plant nuich 

 mjurcd by the process of those who 

 were expert. The new plan is a de- 

 cided improvement, and supplies a 

 dish of exqixisite flavour, to which the 

 greengrocer's bunches bear no sort of 

 comparison. The cutting takes place 

 from early in May to about the 10th 

 or 15 th of June, in no case should it 

 be continued after the end of June, 

 otherwise the plant will not have time 

 to recover itself during the season. 

 After cutting, let the bed be well 

 weeded, and then allow the stems to 

 rise and grow as they please, giving 

 plenty of liquid manure, and a monthly 

 dressing of salt as before. 



There are many ways of forcing 

 asparagu.s, either in pits formed for 

 the purpose, and heated with dimg or 

 hot water, the latter being the best, 

 or in the open ground. The plants 

 for the purpose should be four years 

 old. Take up the plants at the end 

 of November, and by succession as 

 required, without injuring their roots, 

 and, above all things, do not bruise 

 the buds about the crown, for these 

 are to supply the shoots for the table. 

 A gentle heat is all that is necessary, 

 but it should be constant, so that if a 

 hot-bed is made up for the purpose, it 

 must be of sound stuff, with plenty of 

 stable litter in it to supply material 

 for fermentation. Put six inches of 

 leaf-mould, or old tan on the bed, and 



into this plant the asparagus, and cover 

 them very slightly, and keep one foot 

 from the glass. After a fortnight add 

 about four inches more of old tan 

 or leaves, so that the crowns wiU be 

 quite six inches under the surface. 

 As soon as the shoots appear through 

 this, give regidar waterings with tepid 

 liquid manure, with once a week tepid 

 water in which salt has been dis- 

 solved, at the rate of two ounces to 

 the gallon. Another bed should be set 

 to work in a fortnight after the first, 

 and so on, to keep up a succession till 

 the crop comes in from the open 

 ground. Asparagus seeds very freely ; 

 the finest berries only should be 

 selected for use, and, when ripe, the 

 seed should be well washed away from 

 the pulp, and dried in the sun before 

 being stored away. 



The culture of sea-kale differs but 

 little from that of asparagus. The bed 

 is to be prepared in the same way and 

 with the same kind of manure, for this 

 also rejoices in liqiiid manure and in 

 frequent dressings of salt. Sow the 

 seed in patches two feet distant from 

 each other, and when the seedlings are 

 large enough to handle, thin them out 

 to three or four plants in a patch, 

 leaving of course the strongest in the 

 ground. If plants be preferred, one 

 year old are best, planted triangularly 

 three in a patch, in the same way as 

 seedlings. Cuttings from the crown 

 may also be used, and a very good bed 

 made of them. The end of March is 

 the best time to plaut. They may be 

 cut from or forced in the second sea- 

 son, and the plantation will continue 

 fruitful for many years. 



pi^^^c^C'i-^f^^c^ : 



IXIA AND SPAEAXIS, 



Ik the south of Englaud, and iu favoured 

 Bituations, tliey will succeed very well in 

 the open border ; but as they are Uable in 

 severe seasons to suffer from frost aud wet, 

 care must be taken to obviate such disas- 

 trous consequeuces by precautionary cover- 

 ings with litter, and by ample drainage. 

 My ovFn establishment not containing a 

 soil naturally well adapted for their growth 

 and development, I am obliged to have re- 



course to an artificial one ; prepared with 

 one-third good turfy loam, one-third river 

 sand, and one-third peat, leaf-mould, and 

 rotten manure, all well mixed and incor- 

 porated, but not broken fine, laying this 

 eighteen inches thick on a weU-prepared 

 drainage in a sheltered situation, with a 

 south aspect. The month of November is 

 by some considered the best time for plant- 

 ing 5 but I prefer the middle of October, 



