Feb.] the kitchen GARDEN. 123 
Likewise observe when the heat is on the decline, it will be very 
proper to lay a quantity of dry long litter round the sides of the 
bed, which will preserve a fine kindly growing heat, and will defend 
the bed from being chilled by heavy rains, snow, &c. 
In the next place when you find the heat of the bed beginning to 
decline considerably, you should prepare to renew it as soon as pos- 
sible, which is to be done by applying a lining of hot dung to the 
sides as for cucumber and melon beds. 
Fresh air must be admitted in fine weather daily, especially if 
the heat of the bed is strong when the buds begin to appear through 
this last covering of earth; for fresh air is necessary both to give 
them colour and prevent their drawing up too fast and weak; there- 
fore in fine sunny days, either tilt the upper ends of the lights an 
inch or two, or shove them a little down, as may be convenient; 
but keep them close in cold or very bad weather, and always at 
night. 
Continue to cover the glasses every night, especially after the 
plants appear, with mats or straw. 
The bed, if made and managed as above directed, will begin to 
produce asparagus abundantly in four or five weeks, and provided 
the heat be kept up, will continue producing buds in great plenty 
for about three weeks. 
The method of gathering the asparagus in hot-beds is to thrust 
your finger down gently into the earth, and break the buds off close 
to the roots; but the cutting them with a knife, as practised in the 
natural ground would, by reason of the buds coming up so very 
thick, destroy as many or more than you gather. 
When it is intended to have a constant supply of asparagus in 
the winter and spring seasons, till that in the natural ground comes 
in, you should make a new hot-bed every three weeks or a month. 
A quantity of fresh plants must also be procured for every new 
bed; for those which have been forced in a hot-bed, are not fit for 
any use afterwards, either in the natural ground or elsewhere. 
When designed to raise asparagus plants for forcing, you should 
sow some seed every year in a bed of rich earth, as directed in 
March; observing when the plants are one year old, to transplant 
them into an open compartment, in rows, nine inches asunder, and 
about the same distance between the rows. When they have two or 
three summers' growth, they are then fit to take up for forcing; 
but if they stand three years before you take them up they will 
produce much larger buds. 
It is necessary to have three difterent pieces of ground always 
employed at the same time with asparagus plants for the above 
purpose; that is, one for the seed-bed with seedling plants, which 
should never stand longer than one year before transplanted; the 
other two pieces to be occupied with transplanted plants; one to 
be a year's growth from the time of planting before the other, by 
which method of sowing a quantity of plants every spring, you 
will, after the first three years, obtain a fresh supply of proper 
plants every year of eligible age and growth, as above, for forcing. 
