THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 13, 1857. 
16 
months. I placed the first lot of dung fresh from the 
stable door in an open shed at the end of June; this 
lay for a week or ten days spread abroad, and was then 
housed and formed the base of the bed, being trod or 
beaten down as hard as possible three inches thick, boon 
after the dung was removed from the shed another lot was 
introduced, and lay as before spread about, four inches 
in thickness, and, for fear of exciting the portion of the 
bed already formed, it lay for about three weeks, when 
it, too, was beat down on the other. The bed now 
began to heat a little, but not severely; for although 
the first layer had not body enough to heat in a per¬ 
ceptible way, yet the addition of the second layer caused, 
of course, a slight fermentation. This brought me up 
to about the end of July. In the beginning of Sep¬ 
tember the portion of the bed built was, of couise, 
quite cold, and a third lot of fresh dung was housed, 
this lav for a fortnight or so, and then another layer of 
about three inches to finish with, all rammed very firm. 
The moment the bed was finished the holes were 
made for the spawn, and in order to prevent undue 
heating. The bed thus treated became about the 
warmth of milk from the cow, and in about a week was 
spawned: the results I have before described. Now, I 
do not contend that this is the only good practice; but I 
merely wish to show what it is that promotes durability 
in the bed, and in such case how to avoid over-heating. 
As to temporary beds where a regular succession is 
made, it may be observed that six inches of fresh dung, 
which has been spread and aired in a shed for a fort¬ 
night or so, well trodden or beat, is almost sure to 
produce a crop, providing the spawn is fresh and good. 
The dung cannot be too fresh, providing it is allowed 
to be spread in an open shed or outhouse for a week or 
two, and it should be housed, if possible, before a drop 
of rain falls on it. As to temperature, the bed at any 
one stage should never rise beyond 80°; 70° is a much 
more wholesome heat. , 
Asparagus. —This is more simple than that of the 
Mushroom. I speak here of forcing on hotbeds made 
purposely roots taken up from the beds. The most 
moderate bottom heat possible suffices, except it be in 
very early forcing, say in November, when it requires a 
strong heat to rouse them, having just commenced their 
winter’s rest. If I were to offer temperatures adapted to 
each month I should say, as to bottom heat, 70° to 80° 
in November and December; 65° to 75° in Jaqttary ; : 
60° to 70° in February: this will be fouhd correct, as I j 
have found from long experience. By this the iinii'1- 
formed may perceive that it requires much more heat to 
rouse a plant of any kind just stink to rest than one 
which has completed a portion of its winter’s repose. 
Those who havO not practised would be astonished at 
the difference. But there are a few peculiar features in 
the successful forcing of Asparagus to which I would 
draw attention. In the first place as to air heat—its 
relation to the bottom heat. If Asparagus grows too 
fast it becomes tall, thin, and flavourless. As to white 
Asparagus, which some people admire, that is very 
easily produced : it is merely keeping it Covered up to 
exclude light. If it grows too slowly by a very low tempe¬ 
rature it becomes humpbacked, and is sure to be tough. 
So we see, after all, the rate it grows at is a matter of 
importance. To give an idea, then, of sound practice, I 
say endeavour to keep the thermometer between 55° and 
! 05°, whatever the bottom heat may be ; or, in other 
words, let it be generally from 5° to 10° below the 
bottom heat. Now, in the, spring it is not well to have 
j a durable bottom heat. Such with the advancing spring 
j will tend to draw the “ grass.” 
As soon as the “ grass ” is above ground in February 
or March it is well if the dung bed loses nearly all its 
heat, as the excitement of the rising spring is in general 
| sufficient to cause it to lengthen as rapidly as desirable. 
Very different, however, is the case in December and 
January. We are then compelled to secure a consider¬ 
able amount of bottom heat in order to assist in keeping 
King Frost out. Protection of some kind to the lights of 
ordinary frames is particularly necessary, especially 
during the winter months; for, seeing the bottom heat 
is kept as moderate as possible, we are compelled to 
count on a good roof covering in case of contingencies; 
and we all know that the weather is a treacherous at¬ 
tendant. Plenty of air, if of a mild and fair character, is 
of the utmost importance as to the flavour of Asparagus; 
indeed, high flavour can scarcely be obtained without it; 
but the air must not be of a cutting character, or the 
“ grass” will be stunted in its growth. Liberal water¬ 
ings are essential to the production of fine “ grass ” on 
dung beds. The roots suffer much, of course, by the 
severance of their fibres in the act of taking up, and need 
some compensation if possible. This compensation is 
to be found in the use of a mild and steady bottom heat, 
in rich old manurial matters strewed amongst them, 
and in the use, in its earlier stages, of liquid manure, in 
which a little common salt may be dissolved. 
Sea-kale. —It may here be observed —and the ob¬ 
servation applies equally to Asparagus—that no mode 
of forcing can produce satisfactory results unless the 
roots, or rather, crowns be good; therefore high summer 
culture out of doors is indispensable. For want of a 
due recognition of this fundamental point numerous have 
been the disappointments. A weakly crown cannot by 
any possibility produce a good head. The old practice 
of forcing Kale in the open ground by covering it with 
blanching pots has been much set aside as very incon¬ 
venient, uncertain, and requiring too much manure and 
labour. Nevertheless those who possess very small gar¬ 
dens are driven to this practice; for, having little space 
to spare, they are quite content to let the Kale remain 
from year to year; but we all know it becomes gradually 
weaker, and it is almost needless for me to add that the 
produce when forced is in many cases pitiable. 
As those who force by the old blanching-pot mode 
generally know how to conduct that practice I will 
offer a few remarks on the other system. Sea-kale 
abhors extreme temperatures, whether of soil or air 
heat: the soil should never be above 75°, nor the 
air above 60°, under a forcing process. Somewhat like 
the Asparagus, a good deal depends on the relation the 
air heat bears to the bottom heat. The former should, 
in the main, be 0° of 8° below the latter. Sea-kale may 
be forced in a vbry small compass. I manage to have a 
constant supply from November to April by means of a 
kind of bin about ten feet long by three feet in width. 
About once in three weeks a few roots, according to 
demand, are put in this bin, which has a lid to darken 
it; and a bottom heat of G0° to 70° is sustained by means 
of warm manure. This is in the Mushroom house, and 
accords well with the general conditions requisite. One 
thing I have foundnecessary under these circumstances— 
that great moderation must be used in the air heat as 
soon as the Kale is about three inches in length. Like 
Asparagus, a marine plant, it enjoys a little weak salt 
and water occasionally—a handful of salt to two or three 
gallons of \Vater, adding a little liquid manure. 
These remarks are of a desultory character; but my 
aim was to point to a few of the chief features con¬ 
nected with forcing, and in so doing to show forth 
“ breakers ahead.” Bobert Errington. 
BLUE REDDER. 
The best blue bedding plant that has yet been tried 
is the Chinese Larkspur, Delphinium Chinense. On its 
first introduction, more than thirty years since, it was 
considered a hardy perennial plant, but soon after that 
