AMERICAN GARDENER. 115 



and, in the fall cut off the haulm again. Just 

 before the frost sets in, take up as many plants as 

 you will want for your hot-bed. Dig each plant 

 up without tearing it about ; and put them all 

 carefully on a cellar floor, cover them over about 

 half a foot thick with fresh ground, and lay some 

 straw upon that to prevent the earth from drying 

 too much. In January prepare dung for a hot* 

 bed ; and make the bed in the manner as directed 

 in Paragraphs 69 to 74. When the heat has suf- 

 ficiently risen, put on earth as in Paragraphs 75 

 and 76. Upon this earth put your plants, straight- 

 ening out their roots in every direction, Let the 

 growns of the roots be about 7 inches apart all 

 over the bed. which, being a bed four feet wide, 

 and nine feet long, will contain 180 plants. Cover 

 the plants over with fine earth, so that the sur- 

 face of this earth be six inches above the crowns 

 of the plants. Proceed as to air, shelter, and con- 

 vering in the same way as directed for the cab- 

 bage-plants In about twelve, or fourteen days, you 

 may begin to cut asparagus for the table ; and* 

 if you take proper care, and keep your heat up by 

 a lining (see Paragaph 93,) you may have a 

 regular supply for a month. When the plants 

 kave done bearing here, they are of no use, and 

 may be thrown away. Of all the things that arc 

 forced in hot-beds, none give so little trouble as 

 Asparagus, and none is so well worth a great 

 deal of trouble. 



194. BALM is a herb purely medicinal. A 

 very little of it is sufficient in a garden, it is pro- 

 pagated from seed, or from offsets. When once 

 planted, the only care required is t se that it 

 does not extend itself too far. 



