By Mr. John Maher. 



17 



who wrote upon it professionally, as an esculent, telling us, 

 in the first edition of his Gardener's Dictionary, published in 

 1731, that the inhabitants of Sussex gather the wild plant to 

 eat in spring, soon after the heads are thrust out of the 

 ground, otherwise it will be tough and rank. Professor 

 Martyn, next, in the last edition of the same work, has 

 printed some valuable additional instructions, how to culti- 

 vate this plant, from the MS. of the Rev. Mr. Laurent. 

 Lastly, the late celebrated Mr. Curtis has done more to 

 recommend it, and diffuse the knowledge of it, in the disser- 

 tation above quoted, than any of his predecessors. 



To grow this vegetable in the highest perfection, prepare 

 the ground in December, or January, by trenching it two 

 feet and a half deep ; if not that depth naturally, and light, 

 it must be made so artificially, by adding a due proportion 

 of fine white sand, and very rotten vegetable mould : if 

 the ground is wet in winter, it must be effectually drained, 

 so that no water may stand within a foot at least of the bot- 

 tom : for the strength of the plants depends on the dryness 

 of the bottom, and richness of the soil. Then divide the 

 ground into beds, four feet wide, with alleys of eighteen 

 inches, after which, at the distance of every two feet each 

 way, sow five or six seeds two inches deep, in a circle of 



about four inches diameter; this operation must be per- 

 formed with strict care and regularity, as the plants are 

 vol. i. D % 



