November 80, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



413 



true, and the plants were very dwarf, and grew to the same 

 height. I think it ia the same as the Balvoir Castle strain. 

 I have never seen any plants that contrast so well with the 

 Centanrea as Beet. 



Of Cilceolariaa, the old Anrea floribnnda has answered ex- 

 ceedingly well with me again this year, never having seen the 

 inside of a house or pot. The cattinga are inserted in rows in 

 the open ground in light soil, and protected only with a frame, 

 loose straw being thrown over the frame, and the sides earthed- 

 np in very cold weather. 



I cannot endorse all that has been said in favour of the 

 Violas ; they do not last long enough to please me. They are 

 very good for spring gardening, which ia their proper place ; 

 but to hybridise back with the Viela cornuta is to my mind 

 merely introducing again an inferior strain of Pansy, and I 

 have never yet seen a bed of Violas satiafaotory in August that 

 was also good in the spring. A beautiful effect can be pro- 

 duced in spring by rows or beds of choice Belgian or Show 

 Panaies, and nothing is more interesting than to raise seed- 

 lings, and to make use of them in spring gardening, but I am 

 still a sceptic as to the use of Viola cornnta, lutea. Perfection, 

 &?., for Bummer and autumn. Space warns me to conclude. — 

 C. P. Peach. 



FOKCING VEGETABLES.— No. 3. 



ASPARAGUS. 



I BELIEVE Asparagus was one of the first culinary vegetables 

 to which the art of forcing was applied, it having been sold in 

 the London markets in good condition and early in the year 

 as far back as the seventeenth century. I am not surprised at 

 this, for, according to my experience, there is no vegetable 

 more easily and successfully forced than Asparagus, and yet 

 the forcing of this and other vegetables is not carried to the 

 extent that their importance demands it should. Tue high price 

 realised for a hundred heads in Covent Garden during the 

 forcing season would lead one to suppose that either very few 

 engage in its cultivation, or that the demand for it must be 

 very great. Perhaps both causes combine to raise the price, 

 and should, therefore, be a anlficient reason, for all those who 

 can, to force their own Asparagus. I hope to be able to show 

 that neither expensive contrivances nor any very extraordinary 

 skill is required to force this vegetable successfully. 



The most general way of forcing this vegetable is by making 

 dung beds, and placing garden frames upon them. For this 

 purpose sufifioient manure should be collected in a heap, and 

 well prepared by frequently mixing and turning it, so as to get 

 out all rank heat and steam, and which, for the bed or for 

 external linings to the frame, is the best mode of preparation, 

 a rank heat from the outside, or a thick steam inside, being 

 very detrimental to the crop. The thickness of the bed may be 

 from 3 to 4 feet, and the size a little larger than the frame that 

 is to be put on it, and if leaves are to be obtained, a third of 

 them mixed with dung will help to sweeten and also moderate 

 the heat in the bed. When the frame ia on, put the lights on 

 also, and allow it to remain till the heat is well up and the 

 manure thoroughly sweated itself, then level the surface, and 

 beat it down moderately firm. Some would recommend tread- 

 ing it, but I do not advise that, for it is possible to get the bed 

 too firm, and thus prevent the heat from rising ; the weight of 

 the soil and of the roots will press the manure firm enough, 

 and cool the bed considerably. Before pUntiug, a Lyer of soil 

 over the bed 3 inches thick will be sufficient, and the roots 

 should be placed together level, and in regular order, all over 

 the bed. Afterwards cover the whole with some fine light 

 earth, taking care that all spaces between the roots are well 

 filled up, and the crowns covered to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, 

 when the bed may be considered finished, and the lights 

 placed over the whole ; it the heat, however, becomes too strong, 

 and the weather is mild, they may be taken off for several 

 hours in the day until the roots begin to grow, but not after 

 that. The treatment of the bed will now consist in giving 

 plenty of air daily, regulated, of course, by the heat in the bed 

 and the state of the weather. Asparagus requires a less degree 

 of heat to bring it to perfection than almost any other vegetable, 

 as witness how soon the heads make their appearance above 

 ground out-doors after a few mild days in spring. A tempera- 

 ture of from 50° to 60°, but not more, with sun heat, will be 

 found sufficient. It will, of course, grow in a much higher 

 temperature if it is necessary to force it for any specified time, 

 but to produce strong heads with colour and good flavour, the 

 above temperature, with proper ventilation and light, vrill grow 



I it well. If the heads are required in a blanched state, the 

 light must be excluded by covering over with litter or mats ; 

 but the flavour is not in any case so good, nor do I think the 

 heads look so tempting on the table, as much of their delicious 

 appearance is destroyed. 



I think it is as well at this stage to say a few words about 

 the plants and their preparation for forcing. I am not so par- 

 ticular about the age of the plants as some gardeners are, 

 believing, and, in fact, knowing by experience, that if the bed 

 from which they are to be taken has produced a good preceding 

 crop, and the plants are stroig and vigorous, it matters little 

 what age the plan's may be, although in the forcing of many sub- 

 jects — Strawberries, for instance — youth is necessary to secure 

 vigour. In the case, however, of Asparagus it matters little if 

 the bed be from twelve to twenty years old, if the roots and 

 crowns are sound. I find it preferable when much of this 

 vegetable is forced to grow the plants in single rows, instead 

 of in beds of the usual width; because when required for forcing 

 they can be taken up entire, and without that mutilation of the 

 fleshy roots which must result from tearing them out of a bed 

 when they have all become matted together. 



But many gardeners have not the space to grow Asparagus 

 otherwise than in beds, and still they force good Asparagus. I 

 have never found that much watering is required when Aspa- 

 ragus is forced on dung beds ; generally one good watering 

 when the buds begin to vegetate will be sufficient, and this 

 should be with water of the same temperature as the bed. 

 Some gardeners apply a sprinklirig of salt over the bed at the 

 time cf forcing, but, in my opinion, that does no good whatever 

 then, and if given at all should be applied in a liquid state 

 with the watering, or, better still, given on the out-door bed 

 the season previous to its being taken up for forcing. Another 

 way of foroiifg Asparagus is by making up a bed of faggots, 

 brushwood, or any other open material, in the same way as a 

 dung bed, only a foot or so higher ; on the top of these a thin 

 layer of prepared manure should be placed, and upon the last 

 the frame, the heat being kept up by external linings. This is 

 a most excellent plan where manure is scarce. Greater care is 

 necessary in applying the linings that the heat may not be too 

 rank, as it will have easier access to the body of the frame than 

 by the mode a oe described. 



Such are the modes of forcing Asparagus generally adopted, 

 and to be recommended not only for their complete success, 

 but also on the score of economy. In many places, however, 

 where neatness and order are strictly attended to, pits heated 

 by hot water are used instead of dung beds, and are quite as 

 successful and less troublesome, though the expense of erecting 

 such places is a matter for consideration it plenty of ma- 

 nure and leaves are to be had. Forcing Asparagus by means 

 of hot water requires additional care, owing to the tendency of 

 fire heat to make the bed too hot and dry. Water must be 

 carefully supplied in quantities sufficient to keep the soil in 

 the best state for vegetation, remembering always that Aspa- 

 ragus does not require a strong heat to force it successfully. 

 Asparagus is also sometimes forced in boxes, and placed in any 

 forcing house, pit, or frame. The roots may also be planted 

 in the borders of the early forcing vinery or Peach house where 

 no Vine roots are likely to ramble, and many good dishes may 

 be thus produced. All these makeshift plans are very con- 

 venient when the general crop is likely to run short, or it an 

 extra dish or two is needed at any particular time. 



There is one other method of forcing Asparagus, which 

 originated many years ago, but instead of being generally 

 adopted it is confined to market gardeners and large private 

 establishments, where exceedingly large quantities of this 

 vegetable are required. It is that of forcing the roots as they 

 stand in the open ground, either by digging trenches by the 

 side of the bed and heating by dung linings, or by hot-water 

 pipes under the bed ; in either case the beds must be covered 

 by a framework of boards and glass. No doubt there is in the 

 end a saving in all this preparation for those who need such 

 large supplies, but I do not think it is a method for general 

 adoption, especially for the small grower. 



Forcing may commence any time after the summer's growth 

 is matured and the tops cut off. I eaw a bed in Sir Henry 

 Lupton'a garden, near Ashford, in the firat week of November, 

 from which moat of the produce had been out, and another 

 coming on in a most promising manner. I understood from 

 the skilful gardener, that early in October was their usual 

 time to commence forcing ; but I think November is a very 

 proper time to begin. A bed should be made up five or six 

 weeks before wanted, and in order to keep np a proper sncces- 



