An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



121 



Ashes — continued. 

 Inirnoil, they arc more siiitefl to heavy than to light soils. 

 Coal Ashes, if very fine, may he sprinklod half an inch deep 

 on the Rurfaco, over peas and beans, *te., to preserve them 

 from mice ; they may also l)e nscd for g-arden and green- 

 liouso walks, where bricks or tiles are absent, being* tidy 

 in appearance, and an excellent substitute for other and 

 more expensive material. 



Pent A.-ihes. Peat approaching to purity, when thrown 

 out of its bed and thoroughly dried, may be burned to an 

 imperfect Ash, and wheii it does not reach this point, it will 

 become thoronghly charred, and reduced to cinders. The 

 process of burning shonld lie as slow as possible. In either 

 form, it is a valuable dressing for the soil. 



ASH-TKEE. Srr Fraxinus. 



ASIATIC POISON BULB. See Crinum asia- 

 ticum. 



ASIMINA (meaning unknown). Okd. Attonarecr. 

 Hardy shrubs, with oblong, cuneated, usually deciduous 

 leaves. Flowers sometimes rising before the leaves, 

 usually solitary and axillary. They thrive freely in a 

 mixture of sand and peat. Proiiagated by layers put 

 down in the autumn, or by seed, procured from tlieir 

 native country. Seedlings should be raised in pots, and 

 sheltered in winter, until they have acquired a consider- 

 able size. 



Fig. 159. Floweri.nt, Branch of Asimina trilob^v. 



A triloba (thrce-lohed).* /?. cam pfiiui late, the thi-ee outer petals 

 pale purplish, and the three inner nnes t^maUer, purplisb on the 

 outside as well as the inside at the base and apex, with the 

 middle yellow, about 2in. diameter, produced between the upper 

 leaves. May. I. nhlong-CMineated, often acuminated, and, as 

 well :us tlie branches, -suioothish. h. 10ft. Pennsylvania, 1736. 

 A small tree or shrub. See Fig. 159. 



ASKALLON (the Eschallot). See Allium ascaloni- 

 cum. 



ASFALATHUS (from a, not, and n-pao, to extract; 

 in reference to the difficulty of extracting its thorns from 

 a wound). Including Sarnqihyllus. Ord. Lefjnminoscp. 

 Slirubs or sub-shrubs, natives, with one exception, of the 

 Capo of Good Hope. Flowers usually yellow, furnished 

 with three bracteoles, or a leaf comprised of three leaflets. 

 Leaves of throe to five leaflets, disposed palmately, 

 rarely pinnately, having scarcely any or very short petioles. 



Aspalathus — r,>n finned. 

 All the species are pretty when in flower, and thrive in a 

 mixture of loam, peat, and sand. Young cuttings of 

 half-ripened wood will strike in April, in sand, under 

 bell glas.ses, which must be wiped dry occasionally. But 

 little water is needed. Over a hundred species are 

 known : those introduced are very rarely seen in culti- 

 vation. 



ASPARAGUS (from n, intensive, and sparasfio, to 

 tear ; in reference to the strong prickles of some species). 

 Ord. Liliacem. Erect or climbing herbs or shrubs, with 

 very small scale-like leaves, and a profusion of numerous 

 slender fascicled-needle, ratlier spiny branchlets. Flowers 

 axillary, inconspicuous. Fruit baccate. Tbe indoor species 

 will all tlirive well in a warm greenhouse temperature, 

 provided they have partial shade, a good .supply of moisture 

 at the roots, and are not kept too close, in a moderately 

 rich sandy compost. The hardy species are propagated 

 chiefly by seeds and divisions of the roots. Rieh sandy 

 loam is necessary, and otherwise they may be treated as 

 ordinary perennials. Some of tlie species belonging to this 

 genus are among the most elegant of foliage plants for 

 cutting purposes. A. derumhens and A. acandens make 

 excellent plants for "Wardian cases, and may be cut in freely 

 if they exceed their limits. 

 Asparagus {A. oficinnliR) as a Yeoetable. The value 

 and importance of this plant as a 

 vegetable cannot be over-estimated ; 

 it is extensively grown, and, when 

 properly managed, produces a fairly 

 lucrative crop. 



Soil and Bed. The first thing to be 

 done in the preparation of an Asparagus 

 bed to stand for any length of time, is 

 to secure an efficient (h-ainage : and on 

 wet soils this is best effected by placing 

 a layer of brick rubbish over the whole 

 of the bottom, and connecting this with 

 a drain. On gravelly or other soils 

 which are drained naturally, of course, 

 this is not needed; but if really good 

 crops are a deslderalmn, water should 

 not stand within 3ft. of the surface. 

 In all cases, the ground must be dug to 

 a depth of 18in., and, if stiff, a goodly 

 amount ofroadsweepings,or other gritty 

 materials, shoiild bo well mixed with 

 the staple soil. Asparagus requires a 

 good soil, neither too heavy nor too light. 

 Mannrinrj. After the soil has been 

 weU trenched, and has lain long enough 

 to settle down, a good rlressing of 

 manure — thoroughly rotted, and not 

 too rank, at the rate of from twenty 

 to thirty tons to the acre, dug into 

 the surface of the beds — will be found 

 very beneficial. If possible, this should 

 bo introduced in January ; and then, if 

 the weather permits, the beds should be forked two or three 

 times by the end of March, so as to render the soil as 

 friable as possible. A very good manure, and one that is 

 easily obtained, is common garden salt. This may be given 

 annually to established beds. A moderate dressing should 

 be ajiplied just before growth commences in spring, but 

 a little will do no harm at other times during the 

 summer. It is best scattered on with the hand, and a 

 showery day should bo selected, as it will then soon dis- 

 appear. Salt, besides acting as a manure, has also the 

 properties of keeping the beds cool and moist in hot 

 weather, and of preventing the growth of weeds. 



Plfintinff. Asparagus can bo planted during March and 

 Aiu-il, the latter month being the best time for the 

 work. The soil having been thoroughly prepared, the 

 next point is to decide on the size of the beds; this 



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