Io8 ASPARAGUS 



nels between the rows for conducting the steam. To 

 guard against the steam's escaping, two or three 

 inches of soil was placed over Jhe boards, and the 

 asparagus patch was then covered with five or six 

 inches of horse manure. This covering was to prevent 

 the heat from escaping from the soil too rapidly. It 

 was then ready for the steam to be turned into the 

 tunnels. 



" To condudt the steam a one and one-half inch 

 pipe was carried above ground from the boiler to one 

 end of the central tunnel, a distance of one hundred 

 and eighty-five feet. A steam hose long enough to 

 reach each tunnel was attached to this pipe through 

 which to blow steam into the tunnels. It was not the 

 idea to give a constant supply of steam, but to dis- 

 charge a little into the tunnels each afternoon, or as 

 often as was necessary to maintain sufficient warmth. 

 A piece of tile was inserted into the mouth of each 

 tunnel to prevent the discharging steam from tearing 

 away the earth. 



' ' The first steam was turned into the tunnels on 

 November 14th. Steam was discharged into each 

 tunnel, not to exceed five minutes at a time, in order 

 not to heat the earth too hot in any single place. It 

 required about one hour of steaming the first day to 

 bring the bed up to the required temperature of sixty 

 degrees. The distribution of heat throughout the 

 bed was very uniform and satisfactory. The moist 

 steam seemed to permeate the soil equally in all 

 dire(5lions. 



" After the first day very little .steaming was neces- 

 sary until the asparagus began to be produced. On 



