CH. I.] ASPARAGUS. 15 



each light in the night, does not complete- 

 ly draw off the fteam and damp, recourfe 

 muft be had to boring the bed ; which is 

 done by thrufting a large flick fuch as the 

 handle of a pitch-fork, &c. into the fides and 

 ends, in fix or eight places, lefs or more, ac- 

 cording to the heat of the bed. The holes 

 ought to be kept open, by probing them 

 every day, fo long as any fteam remains ; 

 and then fliould be clofed, to prevent it 

 from cooling too much. 



I have feldom found it neceflary to line 

 Afparagus beds ; yet fometimes, in ftormy 

 weather, it is requifite. This fhould be 

 done with caution 5 and never more than 

 one fide of the bed fliould be lined at a 

 time. Let the dung for this purpofe be 

 prepared in the fame manner as .for the 

 bed, at firft ; then cut, with a fliarp fpade 

 or dung-knife, the part to be lined, perpen- 

 dicularly by the fide of the frame : reject 

 the tan and turf, and the reft may be ufed 

 along with the new dung, unlefs very much 

 wafted. From twenty-four to thirty inches 

 will be a fufticient breadth for the lining; 

 raifing it to about fix inches above the bot- 

 tom of the frame, obferving to tread it 



well 



