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IRISH GARDENING 



The Culture of Asparagus. 



By Andrew Pearson, F.R.H.S., Lota Lodge, 

 Grlanmire, Co. Cork. 



Asparagus officinalis belongs to the Lily 

 family, and is to be found growing wild on many 

 parts of the sea coast 



It appears to love a deep rich, sandy Loam, and 

 in some alluvial soils adjacent to the sea coast it 

 simply luxuriates. When seen growing under 

 such circumstances by the owner of a good 

 garden where, by reason of the unsuitable soil, 

 Asparagus only exists, there must be a feeling of 

 regret. Although not desirous of claiming that 

 it can be grown well in any soil, there is a method 

 worth trying on heavy clays, which may give fair 

 temporary results, say for two, or perhaps three 

 or more, years of cutting. 



Trench the square intended for the experiment, 

 but not too deeply, throw into the bottom of 

 trench old worn pea sticks and garden rubbish 

 of all sorts, at lea.-t one foot deep, provided it is 

 capable of acting as drainage. 



April is the besl month for planting new beds, 

 and plants grown from seed on the spot are likely 

 to give the best results. Of course, they will be 

 one year old when lit t'oi planting. Good young 

 plants may be purchased, but old bought in 

 plants are as often failures as not; the fleshy 

 root is quite incapable of bearing exposure to 

 the air without injury to the crown, so young 

 plants grown from s, ( .(l — either in seed bed or 

 3-inch pots — are most suitable. Lor some time 

 we base used pots plunged in a Ira me for growing 

 seedlings: they turn out with nice crowns and 

 i-oots. but this method has not been long enough 

 in practice here to permit us to say if the results 

 are belter than growing in the seed bed: in either 

 case the seedlings musi be thinned to one plant. 



The preparation of the bed in good <>r bad soil 

 musi be of the very best description : in good 

 suitable soil the life of the beds may be a lull 

 generation, and in the bad soilSj to ensure two 

 years' cutting even, no pains should be spared. 

 In heavy soils the trenched portion, which we 

 assume has been well incorporated with manure 

 in an! iimn. will again be well dm: over, t hen beds 

 three feel wide be taken out, eighteen inches deep. 



a heavy coating of long strawy manure placed in 

 the bottom and alternate layers of the staple 

 soil and a mixture of leaf soil and top spit of old 

 pasture, be placed on the bed until it rise- in a 

 slightly convex shape about two feel over the soil 



level, thus the alley, which OUghl to be two feet 



wide; will appear like a trench. Natural shrinkage 

 of the bed will, however, reduce that. 



The planting should be performed on a calm. 

 sunless day. if possible, and (he plants' roots 

 exposed as little as possible to the air. 'two lines 

 to the bed at eighteen inches apart will e.i\e nine 

 inches from each edge of alley, then the plants 

 placed eighteen inches apart will complete the bed. 

 With ordinary good care and weather the young 

 crowns will push evenly through and grow 

 Lustily for the season; a sprinkling of sail will 

 help during t he earlj summer monl hs to 

 strengthen both grass and crown. The month of 

 July will lind them requiring assistance by 

 -taking, either each ciown separately or by 

 placing a few rough sticks through the bed and 

 being with cord from stick to stick in a longitu- 

 dinal fashion. This will prevent the growths 

 being broken off at the crown by high winds, and 



the crowns will accordingly benefit and 

 strengthen. 



Probably more harm than good is done by 

 cutting down the ripe grass and placing what is 

 believed to be a heavy protective mulching over 

 the beds in autumn in such a moist climate as 

 ours, uur method is to leave the grass uncut 

 until the winter is well advanced, when it falls 

 and crumbles with its own weight. This may 

 appear a slovenly way. but there is something of 

 importance in it which is unexplainable, but 

 which, nevertheless, works wonders in its own 

 subtle way. 



The beds are merely cleaned and left till 

 spring, when they are pricked over with a fork, 

 the loose soil being placed in the alley ; a dressing 

 of ordinary farmyard manure is then spread 

 evenly over the bed, but, contrary to general 

 practice, no salt at this season (March), as it 

 tends to chill the beds, especially in frosty 

 weather. The soil is replaced on the manure, and 

 the beds neatly finished off with spade and rake. 



When the young growths appear, if. in the 

 cultivator's opinion, they are strong enouirh to 

 cut from, a few dishes may be cut. taking care 

 that the crown is not injured in the process. Do 

 not be tempted to cut later than the end of May 

 during the first year of cut tine, and even when in 

 full bearing Asparagus will fail if cut later than 

 June. The whole idea of the cultivator should 

 be to encourage strong growth, and consequently 

 a strong crown. 



Nitrate of soda in very small quantities spread 

 on the beds during the growing season is a useful 

 manure, and common salt is a cheap beneficial 

 manure, many first-class growers prefer it to any 

 other "artificial." In dry summers a watering 

 of Liquid manure will benefit the growths very 

 much. 



Perhaps the variety mosl suitable for ordinary 

 use is Connover's Collosal, a fine hardy variety, of 



good flavour and size. Sutton's Perfection. 

 Gianl French, and Palmetto are really line sort-, 

 and where Asparagus does well any of these will 

 be found satisfactory. 



The Hardy Plant Year Book.* 



Tins is a timely publication, coming as it does 

 with the Lengthening days of spring when hardy 

 plants are beginning to assert themselves. 



This, the second issue, i- on similar lines to the 

 lirst issued about a year ago. It contains a list 

 of officers and members, among whom we notice 

 the name- of man\ prominent hardy-plant folk. 



Several interesting and instructive articles on 

 hardy plants are given the notes on new plants 

 of L912 by Walter Irvine being of much value in 

 directing attention to novelties. .Mr. W. II. 

 Paine, of Tully Nurseries, discourses on Saxatile 

 Violas, T. W.Sanderson Flower Shows and Hardy 

 l'lant Culture. Ernesl Horton on New Plants from 

 China, Mr. Malby on the Possibilities of a Small 

 Rock Garden, Mr. Arnotl on English Names of 



Hardy Plants, while other articles appear on 



Perennial Asters. The Hardy Plant Journal, &c. 



Several pages are devoted to the rules and 



constitution of the National Hardy l'lant Society, 

 and a series of model schedules for spring, summer 

 and autumn shows conclude an interesting 

 publication. The illustration- of new plants are 



good and constitute a feature we hope to see 



developed further in future issues. 

 * Published by tin National Hardy l'lant society. 1s. 6d post fri e 



