THE FARMER'S MANUAL* 13d 



Asparagus. 



Select the driest and warmest part of your gar- 

 den for your asparagus- bed, as you have done for 

 your early peas ; render it a deep rich mould by fre- 

 quent digging, and high manuring ; lay it off into 

 beds of four feet wide, and sow your asparagus- 

 seed as you have done your onions and carrots, in 

 rows of about 10 inches asunder. When the plants 

 come forward, hoc and weed as often as may be ne- 

 cessary to bring forward the plants free from weeds, 

 through the first season. 



In April of the next season, stir, or dig the ground 

 lightly upon your asparagus, and give a top dressing 

 with rich manure ; continue to hoe, and keep down 

 the weeds, as before. At autumn, cover your bed 

 with long-dung, or litter, from your horse-stable ; and 

 in April, rake it off, and dig and rake as before. 

 When the plants come forward, you may now begin 

 to select a few of the most thrifty, for use ; remem- 

 ber always to cut just beneath the surface of the 

 ground. Continue this process, with occasionally 

 a little salt strewed over your beds in the spring, 

 and you may enjoy the luxury of good asparagus. 



You may now set a bed of horseradish in the same 

 way, if you have not done it in March. 



MAY. 



Plant bush-beans and pole-beans of various kinds, 

 upon a warm soil, and manure with horse, or hog- 

 dung; (to set the poles first, and then plant the beans 

 round the pole, is generally preferred ;) be sure to 

 plant fleet. Hoe and bush such peas as have come 

 forward ; hoe and weed your onions, rareripes, gar- 

 lics, sallads, &c. Plant your cucumbers in open 

 ground, upon a rich, warm soil, and manure with 



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