180 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 21, 1858. 
and vice versa. Therefore, the late-made buds are of no 
use in this case; for as soon as a full crop is gathered, the 
roots arc bundled out to make way for another batch. 
8th. How long will the beds last ?—To this I may 
answer, as long as people are unwise enough to keep them. 
Where Asparagus is forced extensively, the mode of 
culture is sometimes influenced thereby, as in my case. 
As I take up my roots to force, I have to replant annually 
as many as I force; and this leads me into what I may 
term a five-year course—that is to say, beds planted in 
April, 1858, make a growth of about two feet, or a little 
more, in height; in 1859, they produce strong tops of 
four feet in height; and in 1880, they will be cut for use, 
on fairplay principle ; in 1861, they will produce a 
splendid crop, and are cut hard; in 1862, they will be 
cut on the principles described as applicable to forcing; 
and this ends their life with me. 
Thinking that some good people may imagine this a 
prodigal course of procedure, I beg of them, not only to 
think of the Asparagus in an isolated sense, but also of 
this course as only part of a system. I do not expect 
anyone fully to enter into the spirit of the practice I 
am about to describe—plans differ so much: but this I 
will say, that I will fearlessly challenge any man to pro¬ 
duce finer crops of vegetables, or more abundant, on the 
same space of ground, by any other mode whatever. 
When an old garden has been dug, mucked, and cropped, 
for nearly a couple of centuries, without any fallow, or 
rest, it requires a man to step out of the ordinary course 
of practice, to keep it going. What would some of our 
farmers say, who talk so much about their three and four 
course systems, to having their fields in full tillage for 
nearly 200 years P 
Hut then the question is, with good and experienced 
gardeners, not only how to grow good Asparagus, but to 
make it form part of a system for the welfare of the whole 
garden. This is what I do, and, by the plans I have long 
established and practised, I have managed to get the whole 
garden successively trenched nearly four feet in depth. 
I may, in conclusion, say a few words about forcing 
Asparagus. In the first place, it is useless to force old, 
hard, worn, and ill-used roots. I well remember that, 
about forty to fifty years since, when I was in the nursery, 
we used to have extensive orders for roots to force, 
from gentlemen’s gardeners. These roots had to be pur¬ 
chased from the market-gardeners about London ; and as 
those were not the times for distinguishing with any 
nicety the character of the roots, with regard to their 
aptitude for forcing, the market-gardeners used to make 
a good thing of it, by thus disposing of old and exhausted 
beds. I well remember, when a boy, seeing load after 
load of these roots tumbled out of the carts, and left 
laying for days, completely dried up ; and, very shortly, 
came a complaint that the roots could not be made to 
“break,” or shoot up, and no wonder. The fact is, every 
bud of any account had been cut away for some three or 
fouryears,and the plants,or crowns,completely exhausted. 
Yet they looked huge and monstrous things, as compared 
with what I term maiden plants, such as I put in a 
frame the other day : these were all crown, as it were,— 
clusters of strong eyes crowding each other,—and several, 
when taken up, nearly a couple of inches in length : in 
fact, I planted a frame of such, full of vigour, less than a 
fortnight since, and such is their power, that they are 
already up, and we have cut this day (November 4th). 
Therefore, be it understood, that nearly everything 
depends on the character of the root, as to forcing; one 
thing alone be marked—take care not to burn the roots 
in your ardour. They enjoy a bottom heat of 70°, but let 
75° be the maximum. At the same time, let the air heat be 
kept moderate,—say, 45° to 50°,—for on this steady growth 
the stoutness of the heads depends. My practice is, as 
soon as the heads are in general through the soil, to cool 
the bottom heat considerably with water, by which 
means the heads keep longer without spoiling. 
In placing the roots in the frame, we fill in amongst 
the fibres with old, rotten manure, which has become 
like soil: the fibres revel in this, and it gives much 
strength to the “ grass,” and, also, causes it to develop 
every bud without hesitation. They cannot remain dor¬ 
mant whilst the plant is feeding so enormously. 
Forced Asparagus requires much ventilation. The 
more air and light it gets when above ground, the finer 
the heads are, and the higher flavoured. 13ut it must 
not, by any means, be exposed to a frosty air, or to cutting 
winds; in other words, it must not be stagnated with 
cold. If such occur, the heads will, assuredly, become 
crooked and tough. In watering, I do not use manure 
water, but simply put a handful of salt in each can of 
water, which certainly benefits it without injuring the 
flavour. In frame-forcing, through December, and January 
especially, it requires very liberal roof coverings. The 
least frost is fatal to it in an excited state. 
B. Errington. 
MEETING OF THE BHITISH POMOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY. 
A Meeting of the Beitish Pomological Society was 
held on Thursday, November 11th, at St. James’s Hall, 
Bobeet Hogg, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. The 
following gentlemen were elected ordinary members 
Charles Ward, Esq., London and Westminster Hank, 
246, Strand; C. Bxtcliffe, Esq., National Club, White¬ 
hall Gardens; E. W. Cox, Esq., 36, Bussell Square, and 
Moat Mount, Highwood; Mr. George Swailes, Nur¬ 
seryman, Beverley, Yorkshire ; Mr. Cook, Notting Hill; 
Mr. Aiton, EnviBe Hall, Staffordshire. 
A large collection of Apples, Pears, and Grapes, were 
exhibited,—of which all that were ripe received careful 
examination, as well as did those brought forward from 
last Meeting, and which had ripened in the interim. Many, 
however, of those sent to this Meeting, as well as of 
former arrears, were necessarily postponed, on account of 
immaturity. This is explained in general terms, that 
contributors, who receive this report, may not suppose 
any fruit is neglected because it is not noticed herein. 
The Meeting was enabled on this occasion to get 
through an unusually large amount of business, owing, 
firstly, to the successful working of the resolution of last 
Meeting relative to the time at which the fruit shoidd be 
delivered,—the Secretary having been thereby enabled to 
get the fruit properly arranged and entered ready for 
the Examining Committee ; and secondly, to the said 
Committee having examined, preliminarily, the greater 
portion of the fruit, so that the time of the Meeting was 
not needlessly occupied by unripe or uninteresting fruit. 
These facts are mentioned, that the members and well- 
wishers of the Society, who are not able personally to 
attend the Meetings, may be aware that it is complying 
in an efficient manner with the increasing demands upon 
its attention; and that they may be stimulated by this 
knowledge to aid as much as they can in extending its 
influence and enlisting additional support. 
The Secretary reported, that the Naming Committee 
had met during the interval between the last and the 
present Meeting, and had supplied names to portions of 
twenty-nine collections of fruit sent for the purpose by 
members and others. 
Of the examination of fruit laid before the Meeting on 
this occasion, the following are the most interesting 
items of information. Much, however, of that which is 
collected, especially that derived from the carefully fiiled- 
up forms, is intended to be collated with other similar 
matter, and embodied, in a carefully-digested manner, in 
the next Transactions 
Grapes. —Mr. Wighton, of Cossey Hall, Norfolk, 
sent a Seedling, and therewith a bunch of Black Ham¬ 
burgh from the adjoining rafter. The latter was shrivelled 
