ASPARAGUS. 33 



to most of them, in the second year ; put a 

 small stick to each male plant to mark them, 

 and pull up the females, unless it is preferred 

 to make a separate plantation of them, to 

 prove the truth of the experiment. 



Asparagus is now obtained by the attentive 

 gardener at all seasons of the year, and the 

 same plants are made to give two crops in 

 the year by the following method : towards 

 the end of July, especially if it be rainy 

 weather, cut down the stalks of the plants, 

 fork up the beds, and rake them. If it be 

 dry, water them with the drainings of a 

 dunghill, or with water wherein horse or cow- 

 dung has been steeped; leave the beds rather 

 flat instead of the usual round shape, in order 

 that they may retain all the moisture. In 

 ten or fourteen days the asparagus will begin 

 to appear : if the weather is dry, continue to 

 water the beds two or three times a week. 

 By this method you may cut asparagus till 

 about the end of September, at which time 

 the produce of the hot-beds will be ready ; 

 so that, with five or six hot-beds during the 

 winter, you may have a regular succession of 

 this agreeable vegetable for every month of 

 the year. 



It may be observed that by cutting the 



VOL. J. D 



