ASP 



applied on the sides of the beds in a slanting 

 manner, and be made use of in a partial and 

 cautious manner, frequent recourse being had 

 to the trying-sticks, in order that the heat may 

 not be too great. 



During the growth of this vegetable a little 

 water may be sparingly applied, but care should 

 be taken not to have too much. 



The buds are in general in a proper state to be 

 cutoverin about six weeks from the time of plant- 

 ing, or when they are risen five or six inches in 

 height. The best mode of gathering them is by 

 breaking them off close to the crowns by push- 

 ing the finger and thumbs down into the earth. 



ASPEN-TREE. See Populls. 



ASPHODELUS, a genus containing plants 

 of the herbaceous perennial and annua! flowery 

 kinds, having fleshy fibrous roots. The King's 

 Spear. 



It belongs to the class and order Hrxandria 

 j\lo7iog;/riia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 CoronancE. 



The characters of which are : that it has no 

 calyx : the corolla is one-petalled, six-parted ; 

 the divisions lanceolate, flat, and spreading : the 

 nectary consists of six very small valves, con- 

 verging into a globe, inserted into the base of 

 the corolla : the stamina have six filaments, su- 

 bulate, inserted into the valves of the nectary, 

 bowed ; alternately shorter : the anthers are ob- 

 long, incumbent, and rising : the pistillum is a 

 roundish germ, within the nectary: the style su- 

 bulate, in the same situation with the stamens : 

 stigma truncate: the pericarpium is a globular 

 capsule, fleshy, three-lobed, and three-celled : 

 the seeds several, triangular, and gibbous on one 

 side. 



The species are, 1. A. luteus, Yellow Aspho- 

 del, or King's Spear; 2. A. ramoms, Branched 

 Greater White Asphodel, or King's Spear; 3. A. 

 fistulosus, Hollow or Onion-leaved Minor As- 

 phodel, or King's Spear. 



The roots of the first are composed of many 

 thick, fleshy, yellow tubers, joined into a head at 

 the top; whence arise strong, round, single 

 stalks, near three feet high, covered their whole 

 length with long three-cornered, boat-shaped 

 leaves, of a sea-green colour : the upper part of 

 the stalk is adorned half way with yellow star- 

 shaped flowers, which begin to open at bottom, 

 so that on the same spike there is often a succes- 

 sion of flowers during a full month from the 

 time of its beginning to flower, which is in 

 June, or towards the end of May. It is a native 

 of Sicily. 



The second species has likewise roots com- 

 posed of many thick fleshy fibres, to each of 

 which is fastened an oblong tuber, as large as a 



ASP 



small potatoe; the leaves arc long and flexible, 

 having acute edges; they grow in irregular clus- 

 ters from the crown of the root; among these 

 come out the stalks, which rise more than three 

 feet high, sending out several side branches, 

 which are naked; the upper parts of these are 

 adorned with many star-shaped flowers, which 

 are white with a purple line running longitudi- 

 nally along the outside of each segment. " They 

 grow in long spikes, flowering successively from 

 the bottom upwards. They appear the begin- 

 ning of June, and the seeds ripen in autumn. 

 It is a native of the south of Europe. 



There is a variety, according to Miller, which 

 is unbranched, with white flowers. 



The third species is an annual plant. The 

 roots are composed of many fleshy yellow fibres. 

 The leaves arc spread out from the crown of the 

 root, close to thegroimd, in a large cluster; they 

 are convex on their under side, but flat above, 

 and hollow. The flower-stalks rise immediately 

 from the root, and grow about two feet high, 

 dividing upwards into three or four branches, 

 which are adorned with white starry flowers, 

 having purple lines on the outside : these come 

 out in July and August, and their seeds ripen in 

 October, soon after which the plants decay. It 

 is native of the south of France. 



Culture. — These are plants that require little 

 trouble in their cultivation, and which succeed 

 in almost any soil or situation. They are 

 capable of being propagated by seeds and by 

 parting the roots.- 



In the first method the seeds should be sown 

 as soon as they are perfectly ripened in the au- 

 tumn, upon a bed of light fresh, earth in a warm 

 aspect. The plants will rise in the early spring 

 months, and after being kept clean during the 

 summer, may be transplanted into fresh beds 

 in the succeeding autumn or spring, at the 

 distance of six inches from each other, and in 

 the following autumn be planted out in the 

 situations where they are to remain. But it is 

 probably a better practice to remove the plants 

 from the seed-bed into the places where they arc- 

 to continue, as in this way they grow with more 

 vigour. The third sort can only be raised from 

 seeds, which should be sown in the autumn ; 

 and the plants, when they have put out three or 

 four leaves, be removed into the places where 

 they are to grow. 



In the latter mode the slips or parted roots 

 may be planted out, either on beds or in the 

 places where they are to grow, in the autumn or 

 early spring. In the former case the plants are 

 usually allowed a summer's growth before they 

 are removed. In either way the tops of the 

 roots should be covered three or four inches 

 U 2 



