ASP 



L 77- ] 



ASP 



may also be grown in winter, in any 

 kind of forcing-house, either in boxes 

 filled with earth, or in a pit filled with 

 leaves, tan, or other fermenting materials. 

 Melon-pits and frames may be used for 

 the same purpose. The hotbed of fer- 

 menting materials, thoroughly well work- 

 ed previously to being made up into the 

 beds, may give but a slight heat, and. on 

 it may be put six inches of old tan, or leaf- 

 mould. Put the asparagus -pi ants into 

 this, and keep them, during the winter 

 months, about one foot from the glass. 

 Cover them, at first, only slightly with 

 the old tan, or leaf-mould ; but, in ten 

 days or a fortnight, add three or four 

 more inches of the same kind of covering. 

 Take care that altogether the crowns of 

 the plants are not covered more than five 

 or six inches deep. When the plants 

 have begun to grow freely, and the 

 shoots begin to appear through the sur- 

 face, give them some weak, slightly- 

 warmed, or tepid liquid-manure, adding 

 to each gallon of it two ounces of com- 

 mon salt; 



Quantity to be Forced. To keep a 

 supply during the winter months, com- 

 mencing the first week in November, use 

 two or three light cucumber-frames ; and 

 a succession al bed should be made up in 

 about a fortnight or three weeks after- 

 wards, and so on until the end of March, 

 taking the advantage of fine, open wea- 

 ther for taking up and planting. 



Insects. See CRIOCERIS ASPAEAOI. 



To obtain Seed, Some shoots should 

 be marked, and left in early spring; for 

 those Avhich are allowed to run up after 

 the season of cutting is over are seldom 

 forward enough to ripen their seeds per- 

 fectly. In choosing the shoots for this 

 purpose, those only" must be marked 

 which are the finest, roundest, and have 

 the closest heads; those having quick- 

 opening heads, or are small or flat, are 

 never to be left. More are to be selected 

 than would be necessary if each stem 

 would assuredly be fruitful ; but, as 

 some of them only bear unproductive 

 blossoms, that contingency must be al 

 lowed for. Each chosen shoot must be 

 fastened to a stake, which, by keeping it 

 in its natural position, enables the seed 

 to ripen more perfectly. The seed is 

 usually ripe in September, when it 

 must be collected, and left in a tub for 

 four or six weeks, for the pulp and husk 

 01 me uerry to decay, when it may be 



well cleansed in water. The seeds sink 

 to the bottom, and the refuse floats, and 

 will pass away with the water as it is 

 gently poured off. By two or three 

 washings, the seeds will be completely 

 cleansed, and, when perfectly dried by 

 exposure to the sun and air, may be 

 stored for use. 



ASPA'SIA. (From aspazomai, I embrace; 

 the column embraced by the labellum. 

 Nat. ord., Orchids [Orchidaceee]. Linn., 

 20- Gynandria i-Monandria. ) 



Stove orchids, best grown in baskets containing 

 sphagnum, peat, and broken crocks, with char- 

 coal ; rather dry during winter, and moister when 

 growing. Summer temp., 60 to 80 ; winter, 58 

 to 65. 



A. epidendroi 1 dss (epidendrum-like). 1. Whitish- 

 yellow. Panama. 1833. 



lunu'ta (crescent-marked). Brazil. 1844. 



lu'tea (yellow). Fellow. March. Guiana. 1838. 



variega'ta (variegated-cowered). 1. Green and 



yellow. February. Panama. 1836. 



ASPEN. Po'pulus tre'mula. 



ASPE'BULA. Woodroff. (The diminu- 

 tive of asper, rough ; in reference to the 

 rough leaves. Nat. ord., Steilates, or Star- 

 worts [Galiacese]. Linn., 4:-Tetrandria 1- 

 Monogynia.) 



All hardy herbaceous plants, except where 

 otherwise described. Division of the plant in 

 March ; common soil. They do not dislike shade. 

 A. tricho'des from seed. 



A. alpi'nu (alpine). . White. July. Caucasus. 

 1820. 



Arcadie'nsis (Arcadian). . Red. April. Ar- 



cadia. 181Q. 



arista'ta (awned). 1. Yellow. July. South 



of Europe. 1823. 



brevifo'lia (short-leaved). . Purple. July. 



Europe. 1825. Half-hardy evergreen 

 trailer. 



crassifo'lia (thick-leaved). 1. White. June. 



Levant. 1775. 



cyna'nchica (cynanche-like). 1; Flesh. July. 



England. 



galioi'des (galium-like). 1. White. July. 



South of Europe. 1710. 



Tyra'ica (Tyrian). f . White. May. 



Levant. 1820. 



hirsu'ta (soft-haired). 1. White. June. Por- 



tugal. 181Q. 



hi'rta (bristly). 1. Purple. July. Pyrenees. 



1817- 

 -- inca'na (hoary). Purple. June. Crete. 1823. 



laviga'ta (smoothed). 1. White. June. South 



of Europe. 1/75. 



longiflo'ra (long-flowered). 1. Yellowish- 



purple. July. Hungary. 1821. 



longifo'lia (long-leaved). 1. Red. July. 



South of Europe. 1820. 



monta'nu, (mountain). 1. Pink. July. Hun- 



gary. 1801. 



ni'tida (glossy). 1. Pink. August. Greece. 



1829. 



odora'ta (sweet-scented). 1. White. June. 



Britain. 



Pyrena'ica (Pyrenean). 1. Flesh. July. 



Spain. 1821, 



