THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [NOV. 



if kept out of the ground till spring ; sow them as directed in March, 

 and be not under the least apprehension of the frost doing them any 

 injury. 



MUSHROOMS. 



The mushroom beds must be carefully protected from wet and 

 frost, as directed on page 539, &c. 



WINTER-DRESSING OP ARTICHOKES. 



The winter dressing of artichokes is an important operation, and 

 on it depends much of their future success. This should not be 

 given them as long as the weather continues mild, that they may 

 have all the advantage possible of growth, and be gradually inured 

 to the present increasing cold ; but it should not be deferred till the 

 setting in of hard frost, lest the entire work be prevented thereby. 



In the first place, cut all the large leaves close to the ground, 

 leaving but the small ones which rise from the hearts of the plants ; 

 after this, line and mark out a trench in the middle between each 

 row, from fourteen to sixteen inches wide, presuming that the rows 

 are five feet apart, as directed under the article planting artichokes, 

 on page 212. Then lightly dig the surface of the beds from trench 

 to trench, burying the weeds, and as you proceed, gather the earth 

 round the crowns of the plants to the height of about six inches, 

 placing it in gently between the young rising leaves without burying 

 them entirely under it ; this done, dig the trenches one spade deep, 

 and cast the earth thereof equally between and on each side the 

 plants, so as to level the ridges, giving them at the same time, a 

 neat rounding form ; finish by casting up with a shovel the loose 

 earth out of the bottoms of the trenches evenly over the ridges, in 

 order that the water occasioned by heavy rains, &c., may immedi- 

 ately run off: on which account the trenches c^ht to have a gentle 

 declivity, as a lodgement of water about the roots in winter is the 

 greatest evil and danger they have to encounter ; even greater than 

 the most severe frost of our climate. 



The beds are to remain so until there is an appearance of hard 

 frost, when they should be covered with light dry litter, straw, leaves 

 of trees, fern, peas-haulm or the like, the better to preserve the 

 crowns and roots from its rigor. In this manner the roots will re- 

 main in perfect safety all winter, and in March they are to have their 

 spring dressing as directed on page 212. 



When your artichoke plantation wants manure, lay on a coat of 

 old rotten dung previous to the digging of the trenches, and cover 

 it over with the earth as you throw it up ; in the spring following 

 dig it in. 



FORCING ASPARAGUS. 



This is a very proper time to begin to force asparagus in hot-beds ; 

 for the method see page 128, &c. 



You should now, previous to the setting in of hard frost, cover 



