SLCT. XV. 



OF ESCULENTS. 



plants appeared, it would help them to germinate, as in 

 a funny feafon they are apt to lie long, efpecially if 

 the work be not done till April. And the plants are 

 above ground fill up the holes. Retrefh the plants 

 occafionally with water through the fummer, and when 

 they are two inches high, thin the holes to one plant 

 in each, and cover the beds with an inch of mould, 

 and they will then be two inches deep, as was directed 

 for plants. The drawn plants may be pricked out at 

 four or five inches diftance, to make good any defici- 

 encies next fpring, or otherwife 5 but if the plants are 

 not wanted, it will be heft to cut the fpare ones off, 

 which does not difturh the roots of thofe left. In 

 Oclobtr, when the haulm is decayed, cover the bed 

 with about half an inch of rotten dung, to make them 

 ftrong and keep out fro ft ; and, in fevere weather, put 

 fome long litter over all. In fpring, take the litter 

 off, and gently ftir (with a proper fork) the rotten 

 dung in: do lb again the next year. Watering afpa- 

 ragus beds with the draining of a dunghill (a rich ma- 

 nure too often loft) in autumn, or jpring, will wafh 

 down to the roots, and greatly benefit the lower foil to 

 the incrcafe of the produce : It is worth while to make 

 a rank dunged water lor this purpofe, to recover weak 

 or old beds. See p. 5 3. 



Afparagus is cut from planted beds in three years, 

 and from fown ones in four ; but this lofs of a year, 

 will be amply repaid by the fuperior fize and abundance 

 of the heads. If the buds come very fine, a little may 

 be cut the year before. A thin crop of onions, or of 

 lettuces to prick out, is commonly had on planted beds 

 the firft, and on feed beds the two firft years, taking 

 care that none grow juft about the plants. The belt 

 method of doing this bufinefs, is by an intermediate 

 .drill between each row, and again acrofs them : It were 

 better however to have no crop at all. 



The management of afparagus beds is, to cut down 

 the haulm, within an inch of the ground, when it 



turns 



