ASP 



[84] 



ASP 



Varieties. There are only two varie- 

 ties, the red-topped and the green-topped; 

 the first is principally cultivated. There 

 are said to be a few sub varieties which 

 derive their names from the place of 

 their growth, and arc only to be dis- 

 tinguished for superior size or flavour, 

 which they usually lose on removal 

 from their native place. The principal 

 of these is known as the yiant; but this 

 loses its characteristics if grown in soil 

 less rich. 



Soil best suited to this vegetable is a 

 fresh sandy loam, made rich by the 

 abundant addition of manure. It should 

 be trenched from two feet to two feet 

 and a half deep. This depth of good 

 rich soil, on a dry sub-soil, is ample to 

 yield the very best of heads, if the yearly 

 successive management be attended to. 



Situation. The bed should enjoy the 

 influence of the sun during the whole of 

 the day, as free as possible from the in- 

 fluence of trees and shrubs, and ranging 

 north and south. The sub-soil should be 

 dry, or the bed kept so by being founded 

 on rubbish or other material to serve as 

 a drain. The space of ground required 

 for the supply of a small family is at 

 least eight square perches. If less it will 

 be incapable of aftording one hundred 

 heads at a time. Sixteen perches will in 

 general afford two or three hundred every- 

 day, in the height of the season. 



Solving. To raise plants, sow any 

 time from the middle of February to the 

 beginning of April, in drills one inch 

 deep and one foot apart, if the seedlings 

 are to be transplanted; but two feet apart 

 if they are to remain where sown, as Mr. 

 Barns does at Bicton, for the purpose of 

 taking up every alternate row for forcing. 

 He thus leaves his permanent crop on 

 the level ground in two rows, at four feet 

 distance. Between these he plants 

 summer crops, such as French beans, 

 lettuce, spinach, or cauliflowers. Finer 

 heads are to be expected by this wide- 

 row system; but the most complete and 

 neatest way would be to line out beds 

 four and a half feet wide, in which to sow 

 four rows of seeds, one foot apart, as 

 directed above, leaving three feet alleys ; 

 this will be found the best, for small 

 gardens in particular. 



Culture in seed bed. If dry weather, 



the bed should be refreshed with moderate 

 but frequent waterings, and if sown as 

 late as April, shade is required by means 

 of a little haulm during the meridian 

 of hot days, until the seeds germinate. 

 Care must be taken to keep free from 

 weeds, though this operation should never 

 commence until the plants are well above 

 ground, which will be in the course of 

 three or four weeks from the time of 

 sowing. Sprinkle them about twice a 

 month with salt ; and supply them once 

 a week with a good soaking of liquid 

 manure, during the growing season. To- 

 wards the end of October, as soon as the 

 stems are completely withered, they must 

 be cut down, and well putrefied dung 

 spread over the bed to the depth of about 

 two inches; this serves to increase the 

 vigour of the plants the following year. 

 About March in the next year thin the 

 plants to one foot apart, and those re- 

 moved may be transplanted into a bed, 

 twelve inches apart, if it is intended that 

 they should attain another, or two years' 

 further growth, before being finally 

 planted out, or they may be planted 

 immediately into the beds for production. 

 It may be here remarked that the plants 

 may remain one or two years in the seed 

 bed, they will even succeed after re- 

 maining three ; but if they continue four 

 they generally fail when transplanted. 



Time of Planting. The best time is 

 the end of March, if the soil is dry, and 

 the season warm and forward ; other- 

 wise it is better to wait until the com- 

 mencement of April. A very determi- 

 nate signal of the appropriate time for 

 planting, is when the plants are begin- 

 ning to grow. If moved earlier, and 

 they have to lie torpid for two or three 

 months, many of them die, or in general 

 shoot up very weak. 



Construction of the Beds. Have them 

 four and a half feet wide. The situation 

 should be fixed upon a month or two 

 previously to making and planting the 

 beds. The whole should be trenched 

 two feet to two feet and a half deep, and 

 thoroughly well manured, as the work 

 goes on, with rich thoroughly decayed 

 manure. When all is trenched and ma- 

 nured in this way, give a good surface- 

 dressing of salt, which will wash in with 

 rains. After lying in this way for a 



