194 TIIE KITCHEN GARDEN. [March. 



tolerably thin on the surface, clap it in with the back of a spade, 

 cover it a little better than half an inch deep with earth out of the 

 alleys, and then rake the beds smooth. 



Or it may be sou n thinly in drills, six inches asunder, and cover- 

 ed the same depth as above; give the beds, both before and after 

 the plants are up, occasional waterings to strengthen them and for- 

 ward their growth; and they must be kept very free from weeds, 

 by a careful hand -weeding at different times during the summer. 



"When a quantity of asparagus for forcing is annually required 

 you must act as directed in February, page 123. 



Sowing licet Seed. 



You may now sow some of the different sorts of beet; the red 

 for its large root, and the green and white sorts for their leaves in 

 soups, stewing, &c. 



For this purpose make choice of a piece of rich deep ground; lay 

 it out into four feet wide beds, push the loose earth into the alleys, 

 then sow the seed tolerably thin and cover it with the earth out of 

 these alleys to about three-quarters of an inch deep. Or let drills 

 be drawn with a hoe, near an inch deep, and a foot or a little more 

 asunder; drop the seeds thinly therein and cover them over the 

 same depth as above. Or you may sow the seed on a piece of 

 ground, rough after being dug, and rake it well in. 



Likewise you may now sow the Mangel Wurtzel, root of scarcity, 

 or great German beet, for its large leaves to boil as spinage, its thick 

 fleshy leaf-stalks to dress as asparagus, and its roots for boiling be- 

 fore they become of a very large size. The leaves and roots are 

 excellent food for cattle; producing, during summer, an uncommon 

 abundance of foliage; the outside leaves, for this purpose, may be 

 stripped oft' every eight days during the season. 



Sowing Onion Seed. 



In order to have onions in good perfection the first year from 

 seed, which can certainly be effected in the middle, but more par- 

 ticularly in the eastern states, you must be careful to fix upon a 

 suitable soil, which is a strong, light, rich loam; always avoiding 

 that which is subject to become parched or bound up by heat and 

 drought; or that, in consequence of too large a proportion of sand, 

 is likely to become violently hot in summer, for this is extremely 

 injurious to those plants by causing them to come to an untimely 

 maturity, manifested by the extraordinary perfection that onions 

 arrive to in the moderate climates of Europe, where they have not 

 to encounter a violent summer heat. 



If this ground had been Strongly manured in November, and 

 then thrown up into high sloping ridges, it would be ninth improved 

 and meliorated by the frost, &c, and could now be easily and expe- 

 ditiously levelled for Sowing. 



When this is not the ease you ina\ now <;ive such ground a j^nod 

 coat of well-rotted cow dung, or other good rotten manure, and dig 



