ASPARAGUS. 525 



must be supplied and worked over in the same manner, 

 which will complete the bed ; but in the two last layers 

 the dung should be more rotten than that with which 

 the bed was begun. The beds thus prepared should be 

 left two months at least to settle ; but they must not be 

 trodden down, as they are much the best when left to 

 settle of themselves. About the end of March, or the 

 beginning of April, the beds must be raked down, and 

 lines drawn at a foot apart, the length of the beds, and 

 places marked at fifteen inches apart along the lines ; at 

 each of these places three of the largest sized seeds are 

 to be inserted in a triangle, about half an inch apart, 

 and half an inch deep : the bed must now be raked over, 

 and left till the plants are about two inches high : if 

 three plants appear at a place, two of the weakest must 

 be pulled up ; where two appear, one must be removed ; 

 and should there be any defect in any part of the bed, 

 a single plant from those which have been withdrawn 

 will be sufficient to fill up the space, so that the bed will 

 now be completed with a single plant at each place re- 

 spectively. There will be nothing further required 

 during the summer, than to keep the beds perfectly 

 clean from weeds ; and in the winter, to cover them with 

 some half rotten dung, to preserve the crowns of the 

 roots from frost. In the spring following it will be found 

 that the beds have settled, perhaps considerably ; if so, 

 they must be covered over with as much good mould as 

 will make up the deficiency. The third year after plant- 

 ing, the heads will be fit to cut. This appears to be an 

 expensive process ; but it is adopted by many of the 

 market gardeners, and they consider they are amply 

 compensated by the produce for all the expense such a 

 preparation has occasioned them. After the beds have 

 been made a few years, the alleys are next taken out to 

 the depth of the prepared beds, and filled up in the 

 same manner, which completes the whole of the process. 



