THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 371 



Asparagus. 



Asparagus is in the best state for cutting, when the shoots are 

 from two to four inches above ground, and the top buds or heads 

 remaining close and compact ; soon after, they become open and 

 of less estimation. For the proper method of cutting them, see 

 page 184. 



Keep the asparagus beds perfectly free from weeds, and let it be 

 remembered, to terminate the general cutting, as soon as you per- 

 ceive the coming up roots begin to appear small, or weaker than 

 usual; for if continued cutting too late in the season, it would great- 

 ly exhaust the roots, and the next and succeeding years' produce,, 

 would be diminished in proportion. 



Beets. 



Weed or hoe your early crops of beet, and thin them, if in 

 beds, to one foot asunder, or if in drills, to eight or nine inches plant 

 from plant. Continue to sow more, especially of the red beet, for 

 a succession crop, which will succeed very well, if sown in the early 

 part of the month. A full and abundant' supply of this very excel- 

 lent vegetable, ought to be cultivated in every garden. For the 

 methods of sowing, see page 18.7. 



Onions* 



The onions which were sown at an early season, with an expec- 

 tation of their growing to a sufficient size for table use, the first 

 year from seed, should now be perfectly cleared from weeds, and 

 the plants thinned to about three inches from one another, being 

 careful to leave the largest and best ; they should be thinned at an 

 early period, and kept totally free of weeds, from the moment of 

 their appearance above ground, to the period of their perfection. 



This work may either be performed by hand, or with a small 

 hoe ; the latter is the quickest method, and the stirring the ground 

 therewith, will be of great service to the growth of the plants .: 

 have for this purpose a small one-hand hoe, about two inches broad, 

 or, in want of this, an old table knife, bent a little at the end, about an 

 inch, by heating in a fire, will answer very well for small or mode- 

 rate crops. 



The plantations arising from seed onions, should now be kept 

 very clean, and also the late sown crops, intended to produce small 

 bulbs for next year's planting. 



Turneps. 



Hoe and, thin your advancing crops of turneps, and sow some 

 more of the early Dutch, or early stone kinds, for a succession : this 

 sowing should be performed in the first week of the month, in or- 

 der that the roots should have time to grow to a good size, before 



