ASP 



[86] 



ASP 



four years old. Carefully commence on 

 one side one of the outer rows of the bee 

 by digging out a trench, forking the earth 

 as much as possible from underneath th 

 plants, so that they may easily and with- 

 out straining or injuring their roots be 

 moved out entirely, by thrusting down 

 the fork behind them. Be very care- 

 ful, at the same time, that the buds 

 about the crowns of the plants are not 

 injured by the fork, or trampled upon, 

 or bruised in any way during their 

 removal. Obtaining handsome strong 

 shoots depends much upon the care with 

 which the plants are thus handled. As- 

 paragus is very easily forced, and is very 

 productive tinder the treatment when 

 properly managed. It may be forced in 

 various modes through the winter ; but 

 those who have the command of hot 

 water, to give it a moderate bottom-heat, 

 will find this give the least trouble. It 

 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 hot-bed 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 plants 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 surface, 

 give them some weak, slightly warmed, 

 or tepid liquid manure, adding to each 

 gallon of it two ounces of common 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 successional bed should be made 

 up in about a fortnight or three weeks 

 afterwards, and so on until the end of 

 March, taking the advantage of fine open 

 weather for taking up and planting. 



Insects. See CRIOCERIS ASPARAGI. 



To obtain Seed. Some shoots should 

 be marked and left in early spring ; for 

 those which 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 nrost be marked 

 which are the finest, roundest, and have 

 the closest heads ; those having quick 

 opening heads, or are small or fiat, 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 po&ition, 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 of the 

 berry 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 #nd air, may be 

 stored for use. 



ASPA'SIA, (From aspazovwi, I em- 

 brace ; the column embraced by the 

 labelkon. Nat. ord., Orchids [Orchi- 

 dacea?]. Linn., 1Q-Gynandria \-Mon~ 

 tmdria). Stove Orchids, best grown in 

 baskets containing sphagnum, peat, and 

 broken crocks, with charcoal; rather dry 

 during winter, and moister when grow- 

 ing. Summer temp., 65 to 80; winter, 

 58" to 65. 



A. epideiidrf)i'(lcs(epi&end.Yurn-li\<.c}. 1. Whitish 

 yellow). Panama. 1833. 



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



lu'tca (yellow). Yellow. March. Guiana!.. 



1888. ' 



vwricga'ta (variegntecl-/70MTrrv7). 1. Green 



and yellow. February. Panama. 1836. 



ASPEN. Populm tretmda. 



ASPE'KTJLA. WoodrofF. (The diminu- 

 ive of attper, rough ; in reference to tho' 

 rough leaves. Nat. ord., Stettates, or 

 Star-worts [Galiaceae]. Linn., 4-Tetran- 

 dria, \-Mmioffywia). All hardy herbaceous 

 >lants, except where otherwise described. 

 Division of the plant in March; common 



