iV.] THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 105 



which, being a bed four feet wide and ni ic feet 

 long, will contain ISO plants. Cover the plants 

 over with fine earth, so that the surface of this 

 earth be six inches above the crowns of the plants 

 Proceed as to air, shelter, and covering, in the same 

 way as directed for the cabbage-plants. In about 

 twelve, or fourteen days, you may begin to cut as- 

 paragus for the table ; and, if you take proper care, 

 and keep your heat up by a lining (see Paragraph 

 93,) you may have a regular supply for a month. 

 When the plants have done bearing here, they are 

 of no use, and may be thrown away. Of all the 

 things that are forced in hot-beds, none give so lit- 

 tle trouble as Asparagus, and none is so well worth 

 great deal of trouble. 



194. BALM is an herb purely medicinal. A very 

 iittle of it is sufficient in a garden. It is propa- 

 gated from seed, or from offsets. When once plant- 

 ed, the only care required is to see that it does not 

 extend itself too far. 



195. BASIL is a very sweet annual pot-herb. 

 There are two sorts, the dwarf and the tall. It 

 should be sown in very fine earth, and, if con- 

 venient, under a hand-glass. The bunches may be 

 dried for winter use. 



196. BEAN. The only species of bean much used 

 in this country, is that which, in England, is called 

 Kidney-Bean, and, in France, Haricot. Of these 

 I shall speak in the next article. The Bean I here 

 mean is, what is called by most persons in America 

 the horse-bean. In England there are some sorts 

 of this bean used for horses and hogs ; but there 

 are several sorts used as human food. It is, at best, 

 a coarse and not very wholesome vegetable ; yet 

 some people like it. It is very much eaten by the 

 country people, in England, with tbeir bacon, along 



