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will however in general beinconfiderable; the only reafon of for the fiipport of the frame, raife a bank of earth quite 

 turfing the fiirface is to prevent the fteani, which, if care- from the ground, fix inches broad at bottom, drawing it 

 fully done, will have the defired effctl. Yet, it fometimcs in gradually to the top, banking it clofc ag;anft the fides of 

 happens, that there will le a little, efpecially if the dung did the beds ; and that of the outfide roots, raifing it an inch 

 not undergo a proper fermentation ; but until the grafs begin higher than the crowns at bottom of them, fo eanhing 

 to appear, it is of no great confequtnce if there is a httle them all over the top an inch deep as before obferved j 

 ftcam in the frame, nor provided there is not much fteam, which method of banking quite from the ground may alfo 

 whether it has any air admitted or not. _ But, from the prove efftaual in preferving the temperature of the bed, 



by defending the dung from driving rains, fnow, and piercing 

 winds. As foon as the beds are made and planted in 

 either of the above methods, in order to judge of the tem- 

 perature of the heat, it is proper to thrull fome (harp- 

 ^ . ... pointed ftieks, too feet long, down betwixt the roots into 



weather be not ftormy ; and a little air (hould be let in at the dung of the bed, and by drawing thcfe up daily, and 

 night: while the bed has a rank heat in it, Fahrenheit's feehng the lov,-er part, you will be "able to judge of the 

 thermometer (hould not (land above 50° at any time, degree of heat, whether too violent or weak, which is to 



moment the buds begin to peep through, the greatell 

 attention mull be paid to prevent fteam, which is fure 

 to give the grafs a difagrceable flavour and bad colour. 

 In order to prevent the grafs from drawing up weak, a 

 large portion of air mud be admitted every day, if the 



irnlefs in funfliine, and then not above 60^. By the above 

 ride, it will eafrly be feen, .whether matting at night is ne- 

 ceilai-y, and to what extert, but it mull be attended to, till 

 it entirely difappearp. 



When the beds are formed in the firft method, they ai'e 

 advifed in the Diclionary of Gardening to be directly ear-thed 

 at top for the reception of the plants, with finely broken ear-th 

 fix inches thick, to the full width arrd length of the beds, 

 the furface being raked level and fmooth. Then imme- 



be regulated accordingly. 



The beds being made and planted, the roots will foon 

 after fend forth fiefh fibres into the earth, and even in 

 time into the very dung, arrd the buds of the afparaguji 

 begin to appear i n a fortnight or three weeks ; but till 

 thnt per-iod, as the heat will probably be very llrong, the 

 bed is to remain unfr-amed and urrcovered, except being- 

 occafionally defeirded at top ; 6r at lead, if the fr-ames are 

 placed on the beds, the glafTes not fully put on, only 



diately proceed to place the roots, for no time mull be ufing them occafionally if very inclement weather (liould 

 loft in afparagus hot-beds, in waiting for the temperature happen at that time, juft to proteft the bed and crowns 

 of the heat ; pr-evioufly to planting the roots, mark out on of the plants from exccfilve wet or rigorous froft; or the 

 the furface of the beds the exaft width and length of the bed may be occafionally defended with long litter or garden 

 frames, fo as to have a clear fpace on each outfide of a few mats from violent rains, fnow, and fevere frofty weather ; 

 inches width, to receive the banking of earth againft the obferving, however, to ufe only occafional covering juft to 

 outfide i-oots, &c. as befoi-e mentioned ; then begin at one preferve the heat of the bed and the ci-owns of th°e plants 

 end, and raife a fmall ridge of earth crofs-ways upon the till the buds begin to appear, and the heat becomes quite 

 furface, five or fix inches high, againft which lay the firft moderate, as at this period too much covering would in- 

 row of roots, then having the roots which ai-e not to be creafe the heat to a violent degi-ee, and fcorch or fteam. 

 trimmed, place the firft courfe clofe againft the above fcald the roots, which, in ftr-ong beds, muft be particularly 

 ridge, and entirely upon the furface of the bed, with the guarded againft. The temper-ature of heat muft therefoi-e 

 cr-owns upright, and as clofe to one another as you can be every day examined by tha trying-ftick ; and if it is 

 poflrbly place them, either wholly upon the top of the found fo vehement that you judge the roots are in danger 

 earth, or only draw a little to the lower ends of the r-oots, of fcorciring, the i-emedy is to boie with a large rake-handle, 

 or infert the ends a little into the earth, though they ai-e &c. the fides of the bed quite through irr feveral places! 

 often planted without either drawing any earth about both in the dung, and betwixt the top of the dung and 

 the fibres, or inlerting them therein ; and when one the earth, that the rank fteam and burning quality may 

 courfe or row is thus placed, lay arrother againft thefe in evaporate at the holes ; at the fame time tlie free air may 

 the fame manner ; and (o proceed, laying therii one againft have accefs, and in two or three days the bed will be i-educed 

 another, every way as you can poffibly crowd them, from to a moderate tempci-ature. On the other hand, it fliould 

 one end of the bed to another-, being careful to place all hkcwife be obferved, that if the bed in a week or two after 

 the crowns of fuch air equal height, that the whole may being made does not heat kindly, or feems rather to de- 

 form as it where a level furface, keeping the whole rather clinc, it may be proper to lay dry or wai-m ftable-htter 

 within the meafure of the fi-ame, for they will unavoidably i-ound the fides and over the top, which will forward and 

 fwell out a little on each fide. If mor-e frames tharr revive the heat more ctfeftually. When the afparagus 



one ar-e intended for the fame bed, then, at the tei-- ' — ■- '- -i .1 . . , - . .1? 



mination of the length of each frame, raife a crofs ridge 

 of earth, as at firft, about fix inches in height ; fo proceed 

 laying the roots as before ; and when all the roots are thus 



begm to appear, they are then to have their final earthing 

 of four or five inches depth of additional mould all over 

 the crowns of the roots, and the fr-ame and glaftes put 

 on. At this period prepare fome light, rich, finelybr-oke 



placed the whole length of the bed, direftly bank tip fome earth, fufficieirt to mould them the above depth'; at the 



..1 r 1 /I .,.. fame time in order to fecur-e the outfides of the faid final 



earthing, it is proper to form a fort of wreathing or em- 

 paleniciit round the top of the edges of the bed four 

 or five inches high, which is done either with a thick ftraw- 

 band, or by raifing the outfide banking an additional four 

 or five inches ; cither of which, as juft obferved, is necef- 

 fary not only to fecure the fides and ends of the faid final 

 top covering of earth, but alfo to fupport the frames when 

 finally placed on the beds. 



The beds being now finally earthed and framed, and the 



earth on each fide and end as above hinted, againft the 

 outfide r-oots, raifing it an inch higher than the ci-owns ; 

 then cover the crowns all over evenly with fiirely broken 

 light earth an inch deep, which finifties the work until 

 the buds appear ; for the I'oots muft not till then be earthed 

 deeper, nor the fr-ame and glaftes placed upon the beds till 

 the violent heat has fubfided, becaufe they would confine 

 the burning fteam, and occafioir the bed to heat too vehe- 

 mently to the deftruftion of the plants. 



In forming the above beds, they fometimes, where 



necefi^ary to the faving of dung, ar-e only made the exaft heat become moderate, the glafll-s or lights are to be kept 

 width of the frame, fo as to ftcure the outfide roots ; but conftantly upon the frames, which in the night (hould be co- 



>ered 



