By Mr. Peter Lindegaard. 515 



when the season is a little advanced, does very well. Gar- 

 deners who live near the sea-coast, where horse dung is scarce, 

 apply sea-weed alone for hot-beds, small Peach house linings, 

 &c it attains a high temperature, but does not retain it long ; 

 it is well adapted for late crops on hot-beds. 



I will offer a few observations on Dr. Forbes's account* 

 of the mode of raising Asparagus at Vienna. 



His method of preparing the soil for Asparagus is the 

 usual mode pursued in this country, except that the layer 

 beneath in the trenches, consisting of " dung, horn chips, 

 wood chips, bones of cattle, ox horn, and decayed branches 

 of shrubs or trees" is not used. The latter vegetable ma- 

 terials, I consider very good, but I doubt whether the animal 

 substances can be useful to so succulent a plant as Aspara- 

 gus, which rapidly draws up its nutriment from the soil 

 without extracting it gradually, as in the case of the Vine : 

 there, the nutriment, whatever it may consist of, is divided 

 and retained in the vessels long before it reaches the fruit. 

 It is also a question with me whether such animal matter 

 may not have some influence on the taste of Asparagus. It 

 is a well known fact, that vegetables which grow beneath 

 the soil, such as Carrots, Potatoes, &c. are more or less pala- 

 table relatively to the circumstances of the soil in which they 

 are produced. 



I also object to the plan of sowing the seed a foot below 

 the surface. I believe every experienced gardener will agree 

 with me that this depth is too great. 



♦ See page 335 of this Volume. 



