A S 



them clear from Weeds i and in 

 Otiober dig up the Allies again, as 

 was before diredted, earthing the 

 Beds, c^. 



In the Spring following you 

 muft gently ilir the Eartii of your 

 Beds with a Dung-fork, to looien 

 it, that the Buds may not be ob- 

 ftruded by the Hardnefs of the 

 Ground; but this mufl: be done 

 with great Care, othervife ;he Buds 

 will be broken, and the Crown of 

 the Roots greatly damaged : Then 

 rake the Earth fmoo:h, juft before 

 the Buds do appear, v/hich will 

 deflroy the young Weeds, and pre- 

 ferve the Beds clean till towards 

 the Beginning of Mny, when the 

 Weeds will begin to flourifh, there- 

 fore the Beds mufc be then weeded, 

 and all the fucceeding Summer this 

 muft be repeated, as often as it is 

 found neceffary. At Michaelmas 

 the Haulm muft be cut down, and 

 the Beds clear'd from Weeds, (as 

 was directed for the firft Year) ob- 

 ferving, in digging of the Allies, to 

 throw a greater Quantity of Earth 

 upon the Beds, fo that the Tops of 

 the Roots may be covered at leaft 

 five Inches, otherwile in cutting of 

 the Afparagus (the following Sum- 

 mer) the Crown of the Roots will 

 be in Danger of fuffering by the 

 Knife. 



The third Spring after planting, 

 you may begin to cut fome of your 

 uifparagusj therefore now you muft 

 fork up your Beds with a flat 

 prong'd Fork made on purpole, and 

 commonly caird an Afparagus Fork: 

 This muft be done before the Buds 

 fhoot in the Spring, and with Care, 

 not to fork too deep, fo as to 

 bruife the Head of the Root ; then 

 rake the Beds over fmooth, juft be- 

 fore the Buds appear above Ground, 

 which will deftroy all young Weeds, 

 and keep your Ikds clean a great 



A s 



v/hile longer than if left unrak'd, 

 or done ib foon as fork'd; and 

 when your Buds appear about four 

 or five Inches above Ground, you 

 may then cut them ; but it fiiould 

 be done fparingly, only taking the 

 large Buds, and iuffering the Imall 

 to run up to ftrengthen the Rootsj 

 for the more you cut, the more 

 the Roots will produce, but they 

 will be the fmaller, and Iboner de- 

 cay. When you cut a Bud, you 

 muft open the Ground with your 

 Knife, (which ftiould be very nar- 

 row and long in the Blade, and 

 filed with Teeth like a Savvj to lee 

 whether there are any more young 

 Buds coming up dole by it, which 

 might be either broken or bruis'd 

 in cutting the other; then with 

 your Knife law it off about two 

 Inches under Ground. This may 

 appear a very troublelbme Affair to 

 People unacijuainted with the prac- 

 tical Part ; but thofe who are im- 

 ploy'd in cutting Afparagus, will 

 perlorm a great deal of this Work 

 in a fliort Time; but the Care in 

 doing it is abfolutely neceflary to be 

 obferv'd by all that cut Afparagus. 



The manner of drciftng your 

 Afparagus-heds is every Year the 

 fame as dircded for the fecond, 

 'viz., keeping them clear from 

 Weeds, digging the Allies m Oclo- 

 her, and forking rhc Beds towards 

 the End of March, (^-c. only ob- 

 ferve every orher Year to lay a lit- 

 tle rotten Dung (from a Melon or 

 CucHmber-^c:^) all over your Beds, 

 burying feme m the Allies alio, at 

 the Time for digging them up: 

 This will preierve the Ground in 

 Heart to maintain your" Roots in 

 Vigour ; and by which Manage- 

 ment a Plot of good Afparagm 

 may be continued for ten or twelve 

 Years in Cutting, and will produce 

 good Buds. 



The 



