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Show “AS obferving to lay their Heads even for the more convenient planting them, which mutt be perform’din this manner. Your Plot of Ground being levell’d, you AS all young Weeds, and rake them fmooth, and obferve all the fucceeding Summer to keep them clear from Weeds ; and in Oéfober dig up the Allies again, as was before direéted, earthing the Beds, &e. , The fecond Spring after planting, you may Line very tight crofs the Piece, by which you muft throw out a Trench exactly ftreight, begin to cut fome of your d/paragus 5 therefore now you mutt fork up your Beds with a and about fix Inches deep, into which you flat Prong’d-fork made on purpofe, and commuft lay your Roots, fpreading them with monly call’d an Ajparagus-tork: This muft your Fingers, andplacing them upright againft the Back of your Trench, fo that the ee be done before the Buds fhoot in the Spring, muft begin at one Side thereof, ranging a may ftandforward, and be about two Inches below the Surface of the Ground, and at twelve Inches Diftance from each other; then with a Rake draw the Earth into the Trench again, laying it very level, which will preferve the Rootsin their right Pofition : Then remove your Line a Foot farther back, and make another Trench in the like manner, laying therein your Plants, as before directed, and continuing the fame Diftance Row from Row, only obferving between every four Rows to leave a Diftance of two Feet four Inches for an Alley to go between the Beds to cut the and with Care, not to fork too deep, fo as to bruife the Head of the Root; then rake the Beds over fmooth, juft before the Buds appear above Ground, which will deftroy all young Weeds, and keepyour Beds clean a great while longer than’ if left unrak’d, or done fo foon as fork’d ; and when your Buds appear about four or five Inches above Ground, you may then cut them; but it fhould bedone fparingly, only taking the large Buds, and fufiering the fmall to run up to itrengthen the Roots ; for the more you cut, the more the Roots will produce, but they- will be the fmaller, and fooner decay. When you cut a Bud, you “Your Plot of Ground being finifh’d and muft open the Ground with your Knife, Jevell’?d, you may fow thereon afmall Crop of (which fhould be very narrowand long in the Onions, which will not hurt your A/paragus, Blade, and filed with Teeth like a Saw) to fee and tread in your Seeds, raking your Ground whether there are any more young Buds coming up clofe by it, which might be either broken level. When your A/paragus is come up, (which or bruis’d in cutting the other ; then with your will be in three Weeks or a Monthafter plant- Knife faw it off about two Inches under-ground. ing) you muft with a fmall Hoe cut up all This may appear a very troublefome Afiair to the Weeds, and thin your Crop of Onions where People unacquainted with the practical Part; they may have come upin Bunches: But this but thofe who are imploy’d in cutting A/pamuft be done carefully, and in dry Weather, ragus, will perform a great deal of this Work that the Weeds maydie as faft as they are_cut in a fhort Time; but the Care in doing it is up. This Work mutt be repeated about three abfolutely neceffary to be obferv’d by all that times; which if well done, and the Seafon not cut Ajparagus. too wet, will keep the Ground clear from The manner of dreffing your AparagusWeeds until the Onions are fit to be pull’d up, Beds is every Year the fame as directed for which is commonly Aygu/t, and is known the fecond, viz. keeping them clear from when their Greens fall down: When youhave Weeds, digging the Allies in Ofober, and Ajfparagus, &c. ; drawn off your Onions, you muft clean your forking the Beds towards the End of March, Ground well from Weeds, which will keep it Sc. only obferve every other Year to lay a little rotten Dung (from a Melon or Cucumber- elean till you earth the Beds; which muft be done in Oéfober, when the Haulmbegins to decay, for if you cut off the Haulm while green, the Roots will fhoot frefh again, which will greatly weaken them: This young Haulm fhould be cut off with a Knife, leaving the Stems two or three Inches above Ground, which will be a Guide for you to diftinguith the Beds from the Allies; then with a Hoe clear off all the Weeds into the Allies, anddig up the Allies, burying the Weeds in the Bottom, and throw the Earth upon the Beds, fevelling it even, fo that the Beds may be about five Inches above the Level of the Allies ; then you mayplant a Rowof Colworts in the Middle of the Allies, but do not fow or plant any thing upon the Beds, which would greatly weaken your Roots; nor would I ever advife the planting of Beans in the Allies, (as isthe Praétice of many) for it greatly damages the two out-fide Rows of Ajparagus. In this manner it muft remain till Spring, when you muft hoe over the Beds to deftroy Bed) all over your Beds, burying fome in the Allies alfo, at the Time for digging them up: This will preferve the Ground in Heart to maintain your Roots in Vigour ; and by which Management a Plot of good Afparagus may S DireGions for the obtaining it any time in Winter. You muft firft be provided with a Quantity of good Roots (either of your ownrailing, or purchas’d from fuch Gardeners as plant for Sale) that have been two Years planted out from the Seed-bed; and having fix’d upon the Time when you would willingly have your Afparagus fit to cut, about fix Weeks before, you fhould prepare a Quantity of new Stable Horfe-dung, which fhou’d be thrown in a Heap for a Week or more, to ferment; then dig out a Trench in the Ground where you intend to make the Bed, the Width of the Frames that are defign’d to cover it, and the Length in proportion to the Quantity you intend to have, (which if defign’d only to fupply a fmall Family, three Lights at a time will be fufficient): Then lay down your Dung into the Trench, working it very regularly, and beat it downvery tight witha Fork, laying it at leaft three Feet in Thickne(s; then put your Earth thereon about fix Inches thick, breaking the Clods, and laying it level, and at one End begin laying your Roots againft a little Ridge of Earth, rais’d four Inches high: Your Roots muft be laid as clofe as poffible one to the other in Rows with their Buds ftanding upright : and between every Rowlay a fall Quantity of fine Mould, obferving to keep the Crown of the Roots exa&ly level: When you have finifh’d laying your Bed with Roots, you muft fome {tiff Earth up to the Roots on the fides of the Bed, which are bare, to them from drying, and thruft two or three fharp-pointed Sticks, about two Feet Jong, down betweenthe Roots in the Middle of the Bed at a Diftance from each other. The Ufe of thefe Sticks are to let you know Temper of Heat your Bed isin, which may find by drawing up the Sticks, and g the lower Part; and ifafter the Bed n made a Week, you find it,doth not » you may lay a little Straw or Litter 1 theSides, or upon the Top, whichwill pi nd if you find it very hot, e advifeable to fet itremain wholly rd, and to thruft a large Stick into on each Side of the Bed in feveral ake Holes for the great Steam of safs off, which in a fhort time be continued for ten or twelve Years in Cutting, and will produce goods Buds. ce the Bed to a moderate Heat. your Bed has been made a Fort- planted with Aparagus, to fupply a {mall t, you muft cover the Crowns of the ts with fine Earth about two Inches thick ; The Quantity of Ground neceflary to be Family, fhould be at leaft fix Rods; lefs than that will not do, for if you cannot cut one hundred at a time, it will fcarcely be worth while, for you muft be oblig’d to keep it after it is cut two or three Days to furnifh: enough for one Mefs; but for a larger Family, twelve Rods of Ground fhould be planted, which, if a good Crop, will furnifh two or three hundred each Day in the Height ofthe Seafon. But as there are feveral People who delight in having early Afparagus, which is become a very great Trade in the Kitchen- Gardens near London, fo I fhall give proper Directions n the Buds appear above Ground 1 that Earth, you muft again lay on a f mut three Inches thick; fo that n the Whole it may be five Inches above Crowns of the Roots, which will be fufficient. Then you muft make a Band of Straw (or Jong Litter) about four Inches thick, which you muft faften round the Sides of the Bed, fo that the upper Part may be level with the Surface of the Ground : This muft be faften’d ftraight Sticks about two Feet long, n the Points to run into the Bed, and uponthis Band you muft fet your Frames, and put your Glafles thereon; but if after your Bed hath been made three Weeks, you find the Heat decline, you mnft lay a good Lining offrefh hot Dung round the Sides of the Bed, whichwill add a frefh Heat thereto ; and in bad Weather, as alfo every Night, keep the Glaffes cover'd with Mats and Straw, but in the Day-time let it be all taken off, efpe~ cially whenever the Sun appears, which fhining through the Glaffes will give a good Colour to the A/paragus. A Bed thus made, if it works kindly, will begin to produce Buds for cutting in about five Weeks, andwill hold about three Weeks in cutting, which, if rightly planted with good Roots, will produce in that time about three hundred Buds in each Light; fothat if you would continue your A/paragus until the Seafon of the Natural being produc’d, you muft make afrefh Bed every three Weeks, until the Beginning of March, from the Seafon of your firft Bed being made; for if yourJa Bed is made about a Week in March, it will Jaft till the Seafon of natural Afparagus, and the laft Beds will come a Fortnight fooner to cut than thofe made about Chrifimas, and the 3uds will be larger and better colour’d, as they enjoy a greater Share of the Sun. If you intend to follow this Method of forcing early Afparagus, you mutt keep plant~ ing every Year a Quantity which you fhall judge neceflary, (unlefs you intend to buy it from fome other Garden): The Quantityof Roots neceflary to plant one Light, is commonly known by the Meafure of the Ground where they grew, for in a good Crop, where few Roots are miffing, one Rod of Ground will furnifh enough for a Light : But thofe who plant A/paragus, with a Defign to take it up for Forcing at two Years end, make fix Rows in each Bed, at ten Inches Diftance only, and Jay the Plants in the Rows about eight Inches afunder, which will be 2 {uficient Diftance, as they are defign’d to remain but two Years. The beft Groundfor planting A/paragus to have large Roots for Hot-beds, is a low moitt rich Soil ; but for thofe that are to remain for a natural Produce, a middling Soil, neither too wet nor too dry: but a frefh fandy Loam, when well dung’d, is preferable to any other. ASPEN-Tree ; vide Populus, ASPERIFOLIOUS Plants ( Afperifolius, of Afper rough, and Folium, Lat. fuch Plants as are rough-leav’d, Leaves plac’d alternately, or certain Order on their Stalks; a Leaf] are having their without any they have a lous Flowercut or dividedinto five; y Flower there fucceeds commonly four Seeds, fuch as Buglofs, Borage, Comfrey, Hound s-Tougue, &c. ASPERULA; Woodroof. This Plant grows wild in fhady Woods in many Parts of England, and flowers in April and May, and is fometimes ufed in Medicine. ASPHO- |
