210 KITCHEN GARDEN. 
down close to the ground, the beds kept clean from. weeds, 
and in winter covered with two or three inches of manure. 
As soon in the spring as the frost is out of the ground, the 
earth in the beds should be loosened by means of a fork 
introduced into the soil to the depth of three or four inches, 
turning up the earth carefully, so as not to injure the 
roots. Trim off the edges of the beds, so as. to make 
them even. A full crop may be expected the fourth sea- 
son after planting. Cutting should not be continued after 
the middle of June. Beds well situated and properly 
managed will continue to yield good crops for twelve or 
fifteen years. Salt and brine will be found extremely 
valuable applications to the asparagus beds, and should be 
put on in winter. 
Sea-Kate (Crambe-maritima) is a perennial plant, 
growing spontaneously on the shores of the southern parts 
of England. The roots are spreading, the leaves waved, 
glaucous, and covered with a fine mealy bloom, and the 
stalks rise to about two feet high, bearing white flowers, 
which smell of honey, followed by seed-pods, each contain- 
ing a single seed. 
The country people in the west of England, have long 
been accustomed to use in spring the young shoots, which, 
by passing through the sand and gravel on which they 
grow, are somewhat blanched and rendered tender. In 
conformity with this practice, the cultivation formerly 
recommended consisted merely in covering the beds on the 
approach of spring with a little dry earth or sand, in order 
to the blanching or internating of the shoots. These were 
cut as they appeared in Marchand April. Now, however, 
the blanching is not only much more completely effected, 
but simple means have been devised for supplying the table 
