194 "^H^ KITCHEN GARDEN. [March. 
tolerably thin on the surface, clap it in with the back, of a spade, 
cover it a little better than half an inch deep with earth out of the 
alleys, and then rake the beds smooth. 
Or it may be sown thinly in drills, six inches asunder, and cover- 
ed the same depth as above; give the beds, both before and after 
the plants are up, occasional waterings to strengthen them and for- 
ward their growth; and they must be kept very free from weeds, 
by a careful hand-weeding at different times during the summer. 
When a quantity of asparagus for forcing is annually required 
you must act as directed in February, page 123. 
Sowing Beet Seed. 
You may now sow some of the different sorts of beet; the red 
for its large root, and the green and white sorts for tlieir leaves in 
soups, stewing, &c. 
For this purpose make choice of a piece of rich deep ground; lay 
it out into four feet wide beds, push the loose earth into the alleys, 
then sow the seed tolerably thin and cover it with the earth out of 
these alleys to about three-quarters of an inch deep. Or let drills 
be drawn with a hoe, near an inch deep, and a foot or a little more 
asunder; drop the seeds thinly therein and cover them over the 
same depth as above. Or you may sow the seed on a piece of 
ground, rough after being dug, and rake it well in. 
Likewise you maynowsowthe Mangel Wurtzel, root of scarcity, 
or great German beet, for its large leaves to boil as spinage, its thick 
fleshy leaf-stalks to dress as asparagus, and its roots for boiling be- 
fore they become of a very large size. The leaves and roots are 
excellent food for cattle; producing, during summer, an uncommon 
abundance of foliage; the outside leaves, for thi? purpose, may be 
stripped oft" every eight days during the season. 
' Sowing Onion Seed. 
In ordei- to have onions in good perfection the first year from 
seed, which can certainly be effected in the middle, but more par- 
ticularly in the eastern states, you must be careful to fix upon a 
suitable soil, which is a strong, light, rich loam; always avoiding 
that which is subject to become parched or bound up by heat and 
drought; or that, in consequence of too large a proportion of sand, 
is likely to become violently hot in summer, for this is extremely 
injurious to those plants by causing them to come to an untimely 
maturity, manifested by the extraordinary perfection that onions 
arrive to in the moderate climates of Europe, where they have not 
to encounter a violent summer heat. 
If this ground had been strongly manured in November, and 
then thrown up into high sloping ridges, it would be much improved 
and meliorated by the frost, &c. and could now be easily and expe- 
ditiously levelled for sowing. 
When this is not the case you may now give such ground a good 
coat of well-rotted cow dung, or other good rotten manure, and dig 
