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the (hoots afterwards run up to (lalks and flowers, and per- 

 feA feeds in autumn. 



But befiJes the crop raifed in the fummer feafon, it may 

 alfo be obtained in perfetlion during the \Wnter, and early 

 in the fpring, by the aid of hot-beds, in the manner ex- 

 plained below. 



Propai^atlun of the Plants. It is obferved by the authors 

 of the Univerfal Gardener, that the propagation of this 

 plant is by feed only, which may be eafily obtained from 

 feed-Hiops. It fliould be fown in Fe~bruary, or any time in 

 March, in a four feet wide bed of rich earth, either broad 

 call on the furface, and direclly raked in, or in drills long- 

 ways fix inches afunder, the ground being afterwards raked. 

 In fix weeks or thereabouts, the plants will generally ap- 

 pear ; they (hould bs kept clean from weeds all the fummer, 

 and in winter a little Ihort ftable litter fpread on the ground 

 to defend the crowns of the roots from frofts ; and in the 

 fpring following they wdl be fit ior tranfplanting where 

 they are finally to remain, and in two or three years after- 

 wards, a> has been jull obferved, they will produce afpara- 

 gU3 fit to gather. 



Afparagus is always three years at leaft from the time of 

 fowing the feed before the plants obtain ftrength enough to 

 produce (hoots of due Cze for the table ; that is, one year 

 in the feed-bed, and two after being tranfplanted, though it 

 is fometimes three or four years after planting before they 

 produce good full-fized (hoots. But the fame bed or plan- 

 tation will continue producing good afparagus ten or twelve 

 years, and even endure fifteen or twenty years ; however, 

 at that age the (hoots are generally fmall, and the whole 

 annunl prodace inconfiderable ; a new plantation fhould 

 therefore be made every eight, ten, or twelve years^ as may 

 be judged necclTary. When new plantations of afparagus 

 are required to be raifed in the quickeft manner for ufe, it 

 (hould be done by purchafing ready-raifed year-old plants of 

 the nurferyraen or kitchen gardeners, as in this way a year 

 may be gained. 



The bell feafon of the year to make a plantation of thefe 

 plants is in March, in common light ground, or at the 

 latell, the firll or fccond week in April ; but in cold moid 

 foils, from about the twentieth of March to the fifteenth 

 of April. 



In regard to foil and fituation, the plants fucceed tolera- 

 bly well in any that is light and mellow, and that is fuih- 

 ciently rich ; but it is eligible to allow them a fpot that 

 is rich and light in one of the open quarters of the garden, 

 that is expofed to the free air and full fun, as this is of 

 much importance. Dung mull be added fix or eight inches 

 thick at lead ; th? ground is th;n to be trenched one or 

 two fpits deep, as may be necefT.iry, burning the dung re- 

 gularly in each trench, obferving that where the tre.ich 

 is but one fpade depth, the dung be buried well in the 

 bottom ; but if two fpades depth, betwixt the firll and 

 fecond fpit, or about ten or twelve inches below the furface. 

 Where the trenching is performed in winter, or any conhder- 

 able time before the planting feafon, it is proper to throw 

 the ground into ridges to meliorate and improve by the wea- 

 ther into better preparation for planting, as well as for the 

 benefit of the young plants. When the time of planting 

 arrives, it is to be levelled down, which will be a further 

 improvement. See Trknching and Rinnivc: of Gr',und^ 

 The fpace of ground neccfTary to plant for private ufe 

 is generally from about four or five to twenty rod, accord- 

 ing to the extent of the family ; and the proper quantity 

 of plants to a rod, exclufive of the alleys, is about 260 ; 

 one year old plants are to be preferred to fuch as are older, 

 as thofe of that age will ellablifii thenifclves fooner and 

 more cffcciually thau older roots. The plantt at the time 



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of being put into the beds, confifting ufually of only roots, 

 are at the proper time to be taken up from the fetd- 

 bcd with a dung-fork as entire as poffible, and tlie llrongell 

 forted out for ufe, but not trimmed, only fuch parts as are 

 broken or bruifcd being cut off. 



In planting, they are to be placed in rows a foot afunder, 

 and formed into beds, each bed to confift of four row* 

 ranging lengthways of them, and planted in drills, or ia 

 fmall narrow trenches, as explained below, allowing three 

 feet and a half interval between evcrj' four rows, two feet 

 of which to be afterwards allotted for an alley between the 

 beds, and the rell to be annexed to the beds, which, as well 

 as the alleys, muil be regularly laid out in their proper di- 

 menfions, four fett and an half for the beds, and two feet for 

 each alley between bed and bed. Or they may be at firll mark- 

 ed out and formed into beds and alleys regularly and of their 

 refpeAive dimenfions ; the beds four feet and a half, and the 

 alleys trodden out between the different beds two feet wide ; 

 then four fpaces a foot afunder marked out for four rowg 

 lengthways of each bed, the two outfide roy.-s of each nine 

 inches from the edge ; (Iretch a line tight along the length 

 of the bed in the firll outfide row, and with the fpade held 

 in an eredl pofition, the back being towards the line, cut out a 

 fmall neat trench along clofe to the fine about fix iRche» 

 deep, forming the fide next the hne upright, turning out 

 the earth evenly to lie cloCe along the edge of the trench, 

 ready to earth in the roots as planted ; this being done, 

 proceed to planting the row, placing the plants in the 

 trench clofe againll the upright fide ten or twelve 

 inches afunder, with the crowns upright about two inches 

 below the furface, fpreading the roots both ways, and draw- 

 ing a little earth up to thofe of each plant as they are put 

 in, jull fo as to fix them in their places till the whole of the 

 row is planted ; then diredtly rake the excavated earth into 

 the trench over the roots and crowns of the plants evenly ; 

 which done, move the line a foot further for the next 

 row, and cut out another trench as above, and plant it iu 

 the fame manner, directly earthing over the plants as ia 

 the firll row ; and thus proceeding regularly with the reft 

 till the whole is completed. Having finilhed the planting 

 in either of the above methods, the bed and alleys may ei- 

 ther be lined out now regularly, or deferred until the win- 

 ter and fpring drelTmg, though where the beds, &c. are 

 formed previous to the planting, it may be eligible to Hne them 

 neatly in their proper dimenfions as toon as planted, making 

 the edges of the bed j full and (Iraight, and the alleys level 

 and even. In the other method, cither forming the beds 

 and alleys now or afterwards, as hinted above ; obferving 

 that of the wide intervals of three feet and an half between 

 the beds, two feet only are to be allowed for alleys, the 

 other eighteen inches mull be added to the beds, which 

 will make each bed four feet and a half wide, nine inche* 

 on each fide wider than the outfide rows ; and noting 

 that in either method, if the beds, &c. are formed as 

 foon as planted, the alleys at this time are only to be trod- 

 den out gently the proper width, without calling out any 

 of the earth upon the beds, fo as to Hand in the alleys, 

 and lightly to rake the bed even, drawing off any large 

 (lones and lumpy clods, fo as to leave a fmooth furface. 



In performing the above, if you have occafion to mate 

 the moll of fvery part of the ground, a thin crop of onion* 

 mav he fown the firll year on the fame plat as foon at 

 the afparagus is planted ; but in this cafe, fow the feed 

 moderately thin, raking it in regularly with a light and 

 even hand, fo as not to difplace any of the aiparagu* 

 plants. 



The afparagus being planted in this manner, it requirct 



the following culture. — The (hoot$ mollly appear above 



N a groacii 



