216 OF ESCULENTS. S>ECT, XV. 



order to obtain large heads, and to have the beds 

 continue to produce the longer, much dung is used ; 

 but the less of it, the sweeter will this vegetable be, 

 so that in a soil naturally prolific, little dung need be 

 used. 



Asparagus beds are commonly made from plants, 

 but the preferable way is from seed, the best of which 

 is the Gravesend sort. The time for both is March, 

 rather early in the month than late, though the be- 

 ginning of April may do. The plants should be 

 only a year old, and set in rows a foot distance, and 

 the roots the same, or a little less in the rows. 



Making the beds four feet and a half wide, there 

 \vill be four rows of plants, and nine inches left ber 

 tween the outside rows and the alleys, which should 

 be two feet wide. The beds ought to be trenched 

 full eighteen inches deep, and enriched with dung 

 that is well consumed, burying it below the roots ; 

 they will soon strike into the dung, which had best 

 not lay immediately about them. If some mould 

 of rotted vegetables, or wood pile earth, in the 

 stronger soils ; and a little pond mud in the lighter, 

 were mixed with- the top soil, it would greatly help 

 the plants ; or if none other manure than a mixture 

 of all these were used through the whole work, it 

 were better. As Asparagus beds are designed to 

 last many years, (suppose ten or twelve) no pains 

 should be spared to do the work well ; and if the 

 ground were prepared sometime before hand, or in 

 winter, it would be an advantage, the top soil laying 

 trenched for the benefit of frost. The alleys, as well 

 as the beds, should be made good, for the roots of 

 the outer rows will strike into them. A rich sandy 

 loam is the best soil for asparagus, and if the earth 

 is too heavy, or too light, rectify it. The stronger 

 the soil, the higher the beds should lie above the 

 alley, and more rounded; and in very light soils 



