14? THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



fork-digged, to bury it ; after this dig the alleys in 

 the usual way, and spread a portion of the earth 

 evenly over the beds. In this way the enriching 

 quality of the manure will be washed to the roots 

 of the plants by the winter rains. 



Artificial Culture. As asparagus is frequently 

 required in winter, and early in spring, another 

 method must be practised for obtaining it in these 

 seasons. This is effected by planting the roots in 

 substantial hot-beds, covered with frames and glasses. 

 When it is intended to have a constant succession 

 of asparagus during the winter and spring, a new 

 hot-bed must be made, and planted with fresh plants 

 every three or four weeks. "As these roots, when 

 forced in hot-beds, do not continue to yield any 

 tolerable produce after that period, being then quite 

 exhausted, and unfit for that or any other purpose 

 afterwards ; a fresh quantity of plants must be in 

 readiness for every new hot-bed. These are raised 

 in the open ground, from seed, as directed for the 

 natural culture of asparagus ; and when they are 

 one year old, transplanted into beds of rich earth, 

 in rows a foot apart, and nine inches in the row. 

 The beds may be five or six feet broad, with only 

 two feet alleys, to allow of hoeing and weeding, 

 which must be carefully attended to. They do 

 not require any landing up in winter, as in the 

 natural cultivation. When the plants are two years 

 old, and the ground is rich, they will be fit for 

 forcing ; but they will be in much greater perfection 

 if permitted to remain three or four years. During 

 the time they remain in the natural ground, very 

 few, if any, buds should be gathered, the whole 



