Mar.] 



THE CULINARi!' GARDEN. 



107 



SPRING-DRESSING ASPARAGUS. 



About the middle or latter end of this month, spring-dress 

 asparagus-beds, which is done by forking or shghtly digging 

 them with a three-prong'd fork. For the purpose of digging 

 or forking these beds, be provided with a proper fork, having 

 three short prongs, six to eight or nine inches long ; however, 

 if such instrument be not at hand, it may be performed with a 

 small, short-prong'd common dung-fork. 



In forking the beds, be careful to loosen every part to a 

 moderate depth, taking great care not to go too deep to wound 

 the crowns of the roots. 



The work of forking is necessary to be done every spring, 

 to improve and loosen the ground, and to give free liberty for 

 the buds to shoot up ; also to give free access to the sun, air, 

 and showers of rain. 



The beds being forked, they must be raked even ; observ- 

 ing, if they be not raked immediately after they are forked, 

 to defer it no longer than the end of this month, or the first 

 week in April, for by that time, the buds will begin to advance 

 towards the surface. 



The beds being carefully forked over, a little well-broken 

 mould should be scattered over them from the paths between 

 the beds, or a top dressing of compost, made half of dung well 

 rotted, and the other half of fresh virgin loam, will very much 

 improve the strength of the roots. In raking the beds, make 

 use of an old rake, the teeth of which are worn short, and 

 which will smoothen the surface, without injui'ing the buds. 



PLANTING ASPARAGUS. 



New plantations of asparagus may now be made, if the wea- 

 ther be mild, this being the proper season to remove the plants. 



In making these plantations, the chief point to be con- 

 sidered is to make choice of a proper soil : choose the best the 

 garden affords ; it must not be wet, nor too strong, nor stub- 

 born, but such, as is moderately light and pliable, so that it 

 will readily fall to pieces in digging or raking, and in a situa- 



