THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



Jan. trample it down, and surface it with eight or ten inches 

 I~I5 of soil, in which to imbed the roots. If there are no 

 pipes, double the depth of manure will be necessary. It 

 should be forked about two or three times before it is put 

 in the frame. Asparagus " roots " (" clump " would be a 

 better word than " root," inasmuch as roots form only a 

 part of the forcing mass, but custom rules us) are con- 

 glomerations of soil, fleshy roots, and central " crown." 

 The latter is the thickening above the roots from which 

 the shoots spring. A good forcing "root" should be 

 not less than three years old, or six inches across. If the 

 soil is moistened with warm water when it gets dry, and 

 a temperature of from 50° to 60° is maintained, sturdy 

 shoots will soon appear. 



Forcing Seakale. — Seakale is totally different from 



Fig. 17.— Forcing Seakale. 

 4. Roots in bed of soil. b. Growing. 



c. As first planted for forcing. d. Hot-water pipes. 



e. Stage on which mure Seakale roots may be forced. 

 /. Where to cut off the heads when the new growth is fit for use. 



Rhubarb. The forcing part is merely a single fleshy stem 

 40 



