510 VILLA GAEDENING part vi 



lu May the lights might be taken away and either used for some- 

 thing else or jjacked away in a dry room till next season. The per- 

 manent-bed system of forcing involves much outlay at first, but 

 afterwards the cost is not great. Asparagus may be forced 

 without removal, by having deep trenches lined with bricks 

 between the beds which are to be forced. At the jn'oper season 

 the trenches are filled with warm manure and leaves, frames and 

 lights being placed on the beds at the same time. One or two 

 beds may be covered with frames and lights without any ferment- 

 ing matter. Simply shutting in the sunshine \n\\ hasten the 

 Asparagus a good deal, and the produce from those will fill up the 

 blank between the last forced bed and the fii-st from the open 

 ground. Besides the methods of forcing above noticed, the roots 

 may be lifted and planted in large pots and placed in a vinery or 

 Peach-house, or forcing-house of any kind. Where only small 

 dishes are required for one or two people, this is an economical 

 way of raising it. The pots may first be placed in the Mushroom- 

 house, and moved to a warm light hoiLse to give flavour when the 

 Asparagus heads are several inches high. Boxes will answer the 

 same purpose ; so will also baskets or hampers — anything, in fact, 

 that holds the roots will do. This method, like the one first 

 noticed, destroys the roots. Old flat baskets, such as nurserymen 

 use in packing plants for their customers, are capital things for 

 forcing Asparagus in ; and they may be placed in any house or 

 pit with a night temperature of 60° or so. As regards 



Varieties, the Colossal seems more vigorous in a young state 

 than the common kind, and youthful vigour is important in raising 

 plants for forcing. If well done by, the plants ought to be ready 

 for forcing when three years old, though, if fine produce is desired, 

 four-year-old plants from the seed will be better. Some people 

 tliink that there is only one variety of Asparagus ; but any one 

 may see on almost any beds, especially if recently made, a white 

 and a green variety. The Colossal, no doubt, is a selection from 

 some vigorous plant; and now so many people are going in for Aspara- 

 gus cultm-e that it might answer any one's purpose who had leisure 

 to raise by selection improved varieties of Asparagus. There is 

 nothing impossible in it — patience and perseverance will certainly 

 produce some useful result. 



Carrots. — A nice genial bottom-heat of 65° to 70°, such as is 

 produced by a bed of leaves with just enough stable manm-e mixed 

 with them to hold them together, will force Carrots in the best 

 possible manner. Make up the first bed early in the new 

 year, and as the heat rises place on the bed 6 inches of light 

 sandy soil. Level and firm it a little, and sow the seeds thinly 



