CONTENTS. 



THE ASPARAGUS. 



History. Names derived from Greek, 91. Cato's directions 

 for its culture, 92. Size in Pliny's time, 93. Early no- 

 tice by Tusser, 94. Gerard, &c., 95. Forcing introduced, 

 96. Cultivation for London, and in Scotland, 97. Aus- 

 tria and Russia, 98. In the tropics, 99. 



Botanical Characters, 99. 



Chemical Composition. Sap and Root, 100. Asparamide 

 or Asparagin, 101. 



Varieties. Red and green-topped, 102. 



Propagation. Sowing, 104. Culture in seed bed for trans- 

 planting, 105. Seed required, 107. 



Soil and Manures. Soil, 108. Drainage and preparing, 

 109—112. Salt, 113. Dung necessary, 118. Sea Wa- 

 ter, 119. Dungs, 121. Potter's Guano and Nitrate of 

 Soda, 123. Charred rubbish, 124. 



Open-ground Culture. Pi-eparatory crops, 125. Beds, 

 126. Alleys and Beds level with surface, 128. Exposure 

 to frost, 129 Single rows, 130. Extent of beds, 131. 

 Mode of planting, 133. Distance between plants, 137. 

 Time for planting, 138. Autumn-dressing, 142. Reno- 

 vating old beds, 143. Taking crop, 144. Excessive cut- 

 ting to be avoided, 145. Asparagus knives, 151. Remov- 

 ing berries — blanching, 153. Obtaining seed, 154. Spa- 

 nish culture, 155. Flanders culture, 158. French cul- 

 ture, 159. 



Forcing. In open-ground beds, 162. Glazed frames not re- 

 quired, 166. In stoves, pits, &c., 168. Age and produce, 

 168. In vinery or peach-house, 169. In dung beds, 170, 

 Quantity, planting, &c., 170. Treatment, 171. Hot- 

 water pits, 172. Temperature, 176. A very cheap pit, 

 177. 



Disease and Insects. Decay of root — slugs, 178. Aspa- 

 ragus beetle, 179. Crioceris 12-punctata, 184. 



