96 



tion was paid to its cultivation. M. Quintyni, 

 whose "French Gardener" was translated by Evelyn, 

 in 1673, gives very full and correct directions for its 

 cultivation. By allowing them to remain uncut for 

 four or five years, he says, they were then obtained 

 " as large as leeks," which seems to be a forestalling 

 of our " Giant Asparagus." 



Forcing Asparagus was introduced by the Dutch 

 gardeners who came with WilHam III. (1688). He 

 delighted in blanched vegetables ; and this, among our 

 gardeners, being a novelty, was at first named here after 

 its introducers. " It is with us (says Switzer) truly 

 called Dutch Asparagus," (Kitchen Gardener, 1/3). 

 This writer gives sufficient directions for thus obtain- 

 ing it early, and even some 30 years before him, viz., 

 in 1697, Meager "mentions that the London market 

 was, at that period, supplied with forced Asparagus 

 early in the year. Some having old beds of iVspara- 

 gus, which they are minded to destroy, and having 

 convenience of new or warm dung, lay their old plants 

 in order on the dung, and the heat doth force forward 

 a farewell crop." {English Gardener, 188.) 



From that time to the present the cultivation of 

 Asparagus has advanced both in extent and excel- 

 lence, until it has become a tenant of every country 

 gentleman's garden, and is grown by many in perfec- 

 tion equal to that attained by any other cultivators. 



It is especially cultivated, extensively, for the Lon- 



