A S P 



ASP 



course \\ 

 pines, t! 



Stable-diing as well as tan m'.y be made use 

 of in these pits'. In practice, three- iburths of 



the former in the same state of preparation as 

 for ordinary hot-beds has been made use of with 

 success; but it is not so easily managed as the 

 hitter, from its heating more violently, and the 

 steam not being so easily let off. Dung ought, 

 therefore, when employed in this way, to be 

 more carefully prepared. A very small degree 

 of bottom heat is required in this culture; of 

 ch pits have been used in raising 



ration tor Asparagus, except that of making 

 them even, and refreshing them with a little old 

 tan on the surfaces. But if melons were the 

 preceding crop, the beds should be stirred up to 

 the depth of two feet, adding some new tan or 

 dung, and then levelling the surface with old 

 rotten tan, as in the former ease. In either in- 

 stance the surfaces of the beds should be made 

 so as to slope towards the sun, and about six 

 inches above the bottoms of the flues, allowing 

 so much for settling. The plants are put in as 

 in other cases. When the flues are of the length 

 mentioned above, one half may be sufficient at 

 a time, the other being prepared in fifteen or 

 twenty days afterwards, in order to keep up a 

 succession. After this, once a month may an- 

 swer the purpose. 



In this mode of culture it is observed, that 

 no fires are necessary when the thermometer 

 stands so high as forty-eight or fifty degrees ; 

 but should when necessary be covered with mats 

 in the night, and have air freely admitted in the 

 day when the weather is fine. When fires are 

 requisite they should be employed in a cautious 

 manner; a small one made in the evening may 

 serve for the whole night, and none need be 

 made in the morning, except when the weather 

 is severe: it may, however, be sometimes use- 

 ful to have one in the morning, in order that 

 air may be admitted freely, and at the same time 

 a due degree of heat be kept up. A higher de- 

 gree of warmth is, however, to be preserved in 

 this way than in the hot-bed method, which 

 should be regulated by the state of the tan and 

 the healthy aspect of the buds. In beginning 

 with the first end of the pit a second time with 

 roots it is not necessary to stir up the tan, nor 

 perhaps at the third filling; but this should be 

 regulated by watch-sticks thrust into the tan- 

 beds, or the thermometer plunged in them. 

 Fresh nsiterials will not, however, be necessary, 

 as by stirring up the beds to the depth of two 

 feet the purpose will be fully answered for the 

 season. When dung or oak leaves are made use 

 of the beds should be turfed over, and a foot in 

 thickness of rotten tan or light mould laid over 



before the planU are put in; but this is unne- 

 cessary where tan alone is employed; but not 

 more than an eighth part of new tan should be 

 mixed in. 



Planting lite Boots. — The beds being prepared 

 in the methods directed above, the roots should 

 be immediately placed in them without waiting 

 for the heat being in a proper slate. 



In order to this, in the first method, mark 

 out the extent of the frames, and then within 

 that, crossways, raise a small ridge of the sur- 

 face earth five or six inches in height, against 

 which place a row of roots, which should not 

 be trimmed, pretty close to each other, the 

 crowns upwards, and the roots a little inserted 

 into the mould. A second row is then to be 

 placed in the same way sufficiently near this; 

 and proceed in the same maimer till the whole 

 frame is filled. They should then be covered 

 over in an equal manner with fine mould to the 

 depth of an inch or rather more, and when the 

 beds are not formed larger than the frames, earth 

 should be laid up on the outsides against them 

 in the manner already directed. 



The beds should remain in this state till the 

 rank heat be gone off, which may be known by 

 trying-sticks thrust in occasionally, beingcovered 

 at top in severe seasons as occasion may require. 

 It is of much consequence to guard against too 

 much or too little heat at this time. The frames 

 and glasses may then be placed over the beds ; 

 and when the buds begin to show themselves 

 they should have an additional covering of fine 

 mould to the thickness of four or five inches, 

 the frames and glasses being replaced over them, 

 the latter being removed either wholly or in a 

 partial manner when the weather is mild, but in 

 the nights they should be covered with mats or 

 dry litter as there may be occasion. The plant- 

 ing in pits is performed in the same manner as 

 in ordinary hot-beds. 



General Culture. — In the management of this 

 vegetable in the forcing method, whether in 

 frames or pits, attention is necessary to see 

 that the colour and flavour of the buds be not 

 injured by the rank steam on their first coming 

 through the mould, and that their growth be 

 fully promoted by the due regulation of the heat 

 of the beds, and by a suitable admission of air 

 in mild weather, as well as light and sun. Mr. 

 Nicol remarks, that while the beds have rank 

 heat in them Fahrenheit's thermometer should 

 not stand higher than 50° at any time unless in 

 sunshine, and even then not to exceed 60°. 



When the heat of the beds begins to decline, 

 it may sometimes be necessary to have recourse 

 to linings of thesame materials as the beds were 

 formed of, in order to raise it. These should be 



