171 



otherwise the roots are liable to be destroyed by beings 

 as it is technically termed, scorched or steam- scalded. 



Treatment. — When the heat has become regular 

 the frames may be set on ; and more earth be applied 

 by degrees over the crowns of the plants until it ac- 

 quires a total depth of five or six inches. 



The glasses must be kept open an inch or two, as 

 long and as often as possible, without too great a re- 

 duction of temperature occurring, so as to admit air 

 freely and give vent to the vapours ; for on this de- 

 pends the superiority in flavour and appearance of the 

 shoots. The heat must be kept up by linings of hot 

 dung, and by covering the glasses every night with 

 mats, &c. 



The old practice of forcing in dung-beds is not to 

 be excelled as to the speedy production of good Aspa- 

 ragus ; and as we have practised this to a consider- 

 able extent for the last twenty years, and with very 

 excellent success, we will just give a detail of our 

 practice. We throw the dung together to ferment, 

 and turn and water it a couple of times. When to- 

 lerably sweet, a frame is selected — generally an old 

 dilapidated one — and the bed is built about two or 

 three feet high at back, according to the season of 

 the year. In building the bed, a very small amount 

 of the dung is made use of, the chief of the bulk 

 being tree leaves. We place a foot of leaves on the 

 ground, then a foot or nearly so of the dung, and 



