ASP 



69 



ASP 



remembering always ttiat it is useless I plants arc past production, and unfit 



to manure asparagus beds for sprouts 

 independently of summer shoots. If a 

 bed of asparagus is weak, manure in 

 the autumn will do but little for making 

 it bring strong sprouts the next season. 

 All that the manure can then do is to 

 teed abundantly the summer shoots 

 of the succeeding summer, and so ena- 

 ble them to prepare plenty of materials 

 out of which a second season's strong 

 sprouts may be pushed forth. What is 

 true of asparagus is equally true of 

 sea kale and rhubarb." — Card. Chron. 

 To obtain seed. — Some shoots should 

 be marked and left in early spring, for 

 those which are allowed to run up after 

 the season of cutting is over, are seldom 

 forward enough to ripen their seeds 

 perfectly. In choosing the shoots for 

 this purpose, those only must be marked 

 which are the finest, roundest, and 

 have the closest heads ; those having 

 quick opening heads, or are small or 

 flat, are never to be left. More are to 

 be selected than would be necessary if 

 each stem would assuredly be fruitful ; 

 but as some of them only bear male or 

 unproductive blossoms, that contin- 

 gency must be allowed for. Each 

 chosen shoot must be fastened to a stake, 

 which by keeping it in its natural posi- 



to remain in the garden, little can be 

 expected from them when forced. 



Time of planting. — The first planta- 

 tion should be made about the latter 

 end of September; the bed, if it works 

 favourably, will begin to produce in the 

 course of four or five weeks, and will 

 continue to do so for about three ; each 

 light producing in that time 300 or 400 

 shoots, and affording a gathering every 

 two or three days. 



Produce. — To have a regular suc- 

 cession, a fresh bed must be formed 

 every three or four weeks, the last crop 

 to be planted in March or the early 

 part of April ; this will continue in 

 production until the arrival of the natu- 

 ral ground crops. The last made beds 

 will be in production a fortnight sooner 

 than those made about Christmas. 



Bed. — The hot-bed must be substan- 

 tial, and proportioned to the size and 

 number of the lights, and to the time cf 

 year. The common mode of making 

 a hot-bed is usually followed. The 

 bed must be topped with six inches of 

 light rich earth. 



Quantity necessary. — If a small family 

 is to be supplied, three or four lights 

 will be sufficient at a time ; for a larger 

 six or eight will not be too many. 



tion, enables the seed to ripen more Several hundred plants may be inserted 



perfectly 



The seed is usually ripe in September, 

 when it must be collected and left in a 

 tub for four or six weeks, for the pulp 

 and husk of the berry to decay, when 

 it may be well cleansed in water. The 

 seeds sink to the bottom, and the re- 

 fuse floats, and will pass away with 

 the water as it is gently poured off. By 

 two or three washings the seeds will 

 be completely cleansed ; and when 

 perfectly dried by exposure to the sun 

 and air, may be stored for use. 



Forcing. — Plants to be employed. — 

 Such plants must be inserted in hot-beds 

 as are five or six years old, and appear 

 of sufficient strength to produce vigo- 

 rous shoots: when, however, any old 

 natural ground plantations are intended 

 to be broken up, at the proper season 

 some of the best plants may be selected 

 to be plunged in a hot-bed or any spare 

 corner of the stove bark beds. When 

 more than ten years old, they are 

 scarcely worth employing. To plant 

 old stools for the main forcing crop, is, 

 however, decidedly erroneous; for, if 



under each, as they may be crowded 

 as close as [lossible together; from 

 500 to 900 are capable of being inserted 

 under a three light frame, according to 

 their size. 



Mode of planting. — in planting, a 

 furrow being drawn the whole length of 

 the frame, against one side of it the 

 first row or course is to be placed, the 

 crown upright, and a little earth drawn 

 on to the lower ends of the roots, then 

 more plants again in the same manner, 

 and so continued throughout, it being 

 carefully observed to keep them all 

 regularly about an inch below the sur- 

 face ; all round on the edge of the bed 

 some moist earth must be banked close 

 to the outside roots. 



Precautions necessary. — If the bed is 

 extensive, it will probably acquire a 

 violent heat; the frames must there- 

 fore be continued off until it has be- 

 come regular, otherwise the roots are 

 liable to be destroyed by being, as it i8 

 technically termed, scorched or steam- 

 scalded. 



Treatment.— When the heat has be- 



