AMERICAN GARDENER. 113 



not before. All that has here been said proceeds 

 upon the supposition that the soil has a dry hot- 

 tom\ If a wet bottom, sow, or plant, at the top. 

 of the ground, and, in all other respects proceed 

 as in the case of a dry bottom ; except, that'the 

 earth to cover the bed with must, tim r e after time, 

 be dugout of the paths, which will, at last, make 

 the paths into ditches, three feet deefi from the 

 tofis of the beds. By these means the roots or the 

 plants will be kept some years longer from reach- 

 ing the cold, sour soil at the bottom ; for, when- 

 ever they reach that, the plants, like all others, 

 cease to flourish, and begin to decay. As to r the 

 time that asparagus beds will last, that depends 

 on the soil. Having a dry bottom and good ina- 

 .nagement, they will probably last three genera* 

 tions, and if that be not enough to compensate the 

 trouble of making them, it would be difficult to find 

 a compensation. The general cause of the decay 

 of Asparagus-beds is, negligence; and, particularly 

 the want of attention to keep them clear of weeds, 

 which, without doubt, are the greatest enemies of 

 the plants. These send their roots down deep ; 

 but, they rely also on the ground at the surface. 

 The lucern % which will send its rbots down 

 thirty feet into a dry bottom, and will live in 

 vigour .for an age, if kept clean at top ; will, 

 though in the best and most suitable soil in the 

 world, perish in a few years, if grass and weeds 

 be suffered to grow amongst it on the surface. 

 ,Sea-sand, where it can be had, is as good as 

 ashes, except the beds are -very near the sea ; 

 and there it is of little use. With regard to 

 9or(8, I do not know that there is any difference, 

 except such as climate firoduce*. It is very cer- 

 10* 



