16 



ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



vegetable differs from our own diametrically in giving each 

 plant abundant room to develope into a large healthy speci- 

 men, in paying thoughtful attention to the plants at all times, 

 and in planting in a hollow instead of a raised bed, so that as 

 the roots grow up they may have annual dressings of enriching 

 manure. They do not, as we do, go to great expense in 

 forming a mass of the richest soil, far beneath the roots, but 

 rather give it at the surface, which is consistent with the 

 nature of the roots. 



The French mode of forcing Asparagus chiefly consists in 

 digging deep trenches between beds planted for the purpose, 

 covering the beds with the soil and with frames, filling in the 

 trenches between the beds with stable manure, and protecting 

 the frames with straw mats and litter to keep in the heat. 

 In the beginning of November the pathways between the 

 beds of Asparagus are dug up about 2 feet deep, and as much 

 wide. Divide the soil coming from the pathway very care- 



Preparation for forcing Asparagus. The trenches are dug out and filled with 

 stable manure, the earth being heaped on the beds. These are covered with 

 rough frames, up to the edge of which the heating material is piled. 



fully, and put about 8 inches thick of it on the surface of the 

 bed. Fill up the trench with good new horse-dung, and 

 place frames on the bed. The manure should rise as high as 

 the top of the frames, and the lights be entirely covered with 

 mats and litter, to prevent the heat accumulated in the frame 

 from escaping. About a fortnight or three weeks after, the 

 Asparagus begins to show itself on the surface of the bed. 

 Many market gardeners cover the whole of the bed inside of 

 the frame to a thickness of 3 or 4 inches with dung, to force 

 the vegetation more quickly, but in this case the manure must 

 be removed when the Asparagus begins to shoot. When the 

 shoots are about 3 inches out of the ground they may be cut. 

 The mats must be taken off in the daytime, but the heat must 

 be well kept up or the roots and buds will fail to push. The 



