Feb.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. J23 



Likewise observe when the heat is on the decline, it will be very- 

 proper to lay a quantity of dry long litter round the sides of the 

 bed, which will preserve a fine kindly growing heat, and will defend 

 the bed from being chilled by heavy rains, snow, &c. 



In the next place when you find the heat of the bed beginnin°- to 

 decline considerably, you should prepare to renew it as soon as pos- 

 sible, which is to be done by applying a lining of hot dung to the 

 sides as for cucumber and melon beds. 



Fresh air must be admitted in fine weather daily, especially if 

 the heat of the bed is strong when the buds begin to appear through 

 this last covering of earth; for fresh air is necessary both to give 

 them colour and prevent their drawing up too fast and weak; there- 

 fore in fine sunny days, either tilt the upper ends of the lights an 

 inch or two, or shove them a little down, as may be convenient; 

 but keep them close in cold or very bad weather, and always at 

 night. 



Continue to cover the glasses every night, especially after the 

 plants appear, with mats or straw. 



The bed, if made and managed as above directed, will begin to 

 produce asparagus abundantly in four or five weeks, and provided 

 the heat be kept up, will continue producing buds in great plenty 

 for about three weeks. 



The method of gathering the asparagus in hot-beds is to thrust 

 your finger down gently into the earth, and break the buds off' close 

 to the roots; but the cutting them with a knife, as practised in the 

 natural ground would, by reason of the buds coming up so very 

 thick, destroy as many or more than you gather. 



When it is intended to have a constant supply of asparagus in 

 the winter and spring seasons, till that in the natural ground comes 

 in, you should make a new hot-bed every three weeks or a month. 



A quantity of fresh plants must also be procured for every new 

 bed; for those which have been forced in a hot-bed, are not fit for 

 any use afterwards, either in the natural ground or elsewhere. 



When designed to raise asparagus plants for forcing, you should 

 sow some seed every year in a bed of rich earth, as directed in 

 March; observing when the plants are one year old, to transplant 

 them into an open compartment, in rows, nine inches asunder, and 

 about the same distance between the rows. When they have two or 

 three summers' growth, they are then fit to take up for forcing; 

 but if they stand three years before you take them up they will 

 produce much larger buds. 



It is necessary to have three different pieces of ground always 

 employed at the same time with asparagus plants for the above 

 purpose; that is, one for the seed-bed with seedling plants, which 

 should never stand longer than one year before transplanted; the 

 other two pieces to be occupied with transplanted plants; one to 

 be a year's growth from the time of planting before the other, by 

 which method of sowing a quantity of plants every spring, you 

 will, after the first three years, obtain a fresh supply of proper- 

 plants every year of eligible age and growth, as above, for forcing. 



