MAR.] KITCHEN VEGETABLES. 47 



leys, if in beds ; in the latter case, and also if the 

 plants be under four years old, with the spade ; but 

 otherwise, with a fork ; taking particular care to 

 wound the roots as little as possible. No plant feels 

 a hurt in the root more keenly than asparagus ; the 

 fibrils are very brittle, and, if broken, do not readily 

 shoot again. In digging, shed a little earth on the 

 crowns of the plants, and smooth all with the rake. 



Of planting and earthing up Beans. 

 Plant more beans for a successional crop, and earth 

 up those already above ground. See February. 



Of sowing Beet. 



The end of the month is soon enough to sow red 

 beet, as it is apt to shoot for seed if sown earlier. 

 For a full crop, the middle of April is the fittest 

 time. The roots only of the red sort are used ; and 

 if the plant shoot for seed, these get hard, and are 

 in a manner useless. Of the white or green sort, 

 the leaves only are used, in the manner of spinage ; 

 and as the culture of it resembles that of spinage in 

 all regpects, except that it needs a little more room. 

 I shall confine my directions to the red kind ; which 

 requires a management more particular. 



It likes a deep, lightish earth, moderately rich. 

 It will thrive very well in rich sand; but in stiff, 

 shallow soils, it sickens, and the roots get forked, 

 and canker. Do not sow with manure, except of 

 well reduced compost, as rank dungs induce canker* 

 It is better if the ground have been dunged for the 

 preceding crop. Trench, or subtrench, to the depth 



