Feb.] The Kitchen Garden. 59 



again to appear, for frcfh air is necelTary both to give them 

 colour,- and prevent their drawing up too fall and weak ; 

 therefore, in fine funny days, either tilt the upper ends of the 

 lights an inch or two, or (hove them a little down, as rfiav 

 be convenient ; but keep them clofe in ail cold or very bad 

 weather, and always on nights. 



Continue to cover the glailes every night with mats or 

 ftraw. 



The bed, if made and managed as directed, will begin to 

 produce afparagus abundantly in four or five weeks ; and, 

 provided the heat be kept up, will continue producing buds 

 in great plenty for about three weeks. A bed for a three- 

 light frame will, for that time, produce three or four hun- 

 dred buds a week. 



The method of gathering the afparagus in hot-beds, is 

 to thrult your finger down gently into the earth, and break 

 the buds off clofe to the roots, which they will readily do j 

 but the cutting them with a knife, as pradifed in the na- 

 tural ground, would, by reafon of the buds coming up fo 

 very thick one under another, dellroy as many or more 

 than you gather. 



When it is intended to have a conftant fupply of afpa- 

 ragus in the winter and fpring feafon, till that in the na- 

 tural ground conies in, you Ihould make a new Iiot-bed 

 every three weeks. 



A qu-antit}' of frefli plants mull alfo be procured for every 

 new bed ; for thofe which have been once forced in a hot- 

 bed, are not fit for any ufe afterwards, either in a hot-bed 

 or natural ground. 



Thofe perfons who would raife plants for forcing, fhould 

 low feme feed every year, in a bed of rich earth, as di- 

 refted below ; obferving, when the plants are one year old» 

 to tranfplant them into an open fpot, in rows, nine inche.-, 

 afundery and about the fame diilajice in the row : when 

 they have two or three fummers growth, they are then fit 

 to be taken up for forcing; but if they Hand three vears 

 before you take them up,- they will produce much larger 

 buds. 



It is neceiTary to have three diSerent pieco^ of ground 

 always employed at the lame time v/ith aipar^^gus plants 

 for the above purpofe ; thar'is, one piece for the feed-bed 

 with feedling plants, which ihould never iiand longer thaii 

 Que year before tranfplahtcd ; the oiKer rv<> "pieces to be 

 D 6 -^sith 



