The Gardener's New Director. 93 



nine inches deep, and fix feet in breadth ; fill up the 

 fame, and tread it well, over the dung lay Tome earth, 

 taken the preceding Oclcber, from a pafture where 

 Muflirooms grow plentifully, and witli it cover your 

 dung five inches thick; tread the fame as hard as you 

 can, making the bed level, or very nearly fo; keep it clear 

 from weeds, and in May they will begin to appear ; if 

 they come up black, lay fome of the Muff^room ntflure 

 over the bed, to the thicknefs of half an inch, treading it 

 well ; this will purge the bed, and make the iVfufhrooms 

 come up of a good colour. This bed will lafl: two 

 years; Mufhrooms raifed in beds are fitter for tabie-ufe, 

 than thofe which ary gathered in the fields. 



Some, in order the better to prote6f their beds from 

 rain, and fevere weather, ere6l over them a thatched co- 

 vering raifed on four pillars, but of fuch a height as to 

 give free admiffion to the air; this will anlWer very well, 

 and is a great faving of covering for the beds, and per- 

 haps is preferable in our precarious climate. 



D ire ^ ions for forcing Afparagus on Hot-beds. 



I Shall now treat of forcing Afparagus, which, by pro- 

 per management, may be had for the table from 

 the beginning o^ Dece-mbcr^ until they grow in the natu- 

 ral ground. In treating of this procefs I fhall be very, par- 

 ticular, as I have feen it attempted in this country with- 

 out any fuccefs, yet I will venture to affirm, I have had 

 as good in winter, as any Afparagus brought to Covent- 

 Garden market. 



The roots which are fitteft for forcing, are fuch as 

 have been raifed in your own garden, for they may be 

 befl: depended on. 'T'hefe roots are to be planted out, 

 according to the direftions I fliall give, when I treat of 

 Afparagus in the natural ground ; the firfl year after fow- 

 ing, they fhould have a moid, rich, low ground, which 

 will give excellent roots for hot-beds, and fliould be of 

 four years ftanding before they are ufcd for forcing, and 

 fuch roots whofe grafs has never been cut, are to be ufed, 



and 



