SALT FOR ASPARAGUS. 117 



I do not claim to be among the best cultivators of aspara- 

 gus, but I know there are gentlemen present who raise it 

 very successfully, and I would like to hear from them on one 

 or two points. I would like to know how they treat the 

 insect ; and I would like to know if they are troubled with 

 this sort of spiral growth, which, although not very common, 

 prevails to a certain extent. It is something that I cannot 

 account for. At one time, I supposed that it was owing to a 

 grub eating the shoot under the surface of the soil, when it 

 first started; but, on examination, I never could find any- 

 thing that satisfied me that that was the cause. I did not 

 know but it might be owing to the nature of the manure, or 

 to the fact that there was too much clay in the soil, as I sup- 

 pose" there is in the soil which I use to grow asparagus ; but 

 I find, by talking with other cultivators in our vicinity (Mr. 

 Paul, of Dighton, for instance, who is here), that they were 

 somewhat troubled in the same way, on sandy soil. If any 

 one present can answer these questions, he shall receive my 

 thanks. 



Mr. Hapgood. I have a bed of asparagus in my garden, 

 and I have noticed, occasionally, a shoot coming up in the 

 spiral form to which Mr. Slade refers. I have always sup- 

 posed that that was caused by want of care in dressing the 

 bed. Mine is a small bed, and I use a fork to work in the 

 manure ; and when I do it myself, I do it as carefully as I 

 can. But I find that a prong of the fork frequently strikes 

 the crown of a plant (which, as you know, is of considerable 

 breadth, under ground), and I always thought that was the 

 cause of its growing in that form. 



Mr. DwiGHT, of Dudley. I would like to inquire of Mr. 

 Slade if he ever puts any salt or brine on the bed? 



Mr. Slade. Yes, sir, I have done so. I have used forty 

 bushels, I think, on a quarter of an acre this last year. I 

 put it on in August. Not that I really supposed that the 

 health or growth of the plant needed it ; but I used it because 

 I supposed it would have a tendency to keep down the weeds, 

 which I think it does. I am not certain in regard to the 

 application of salt to asparagus. It is usually considered a 

 marine plant, because it has been found on salt-water beaches, 

 where it is washed by the water, growing in a natural state. 



