THE RAISING OF PLANTS 35 
of the seed when the soil is moist and has not had a 
chance to dry out. If unsoaked seed is used and we 
have a dry spell for two or three weeks, the seed will be 
almost useless by the time it receives moisture enough 
to start. 
‘When the asparagus is two or three inches high 
thin out to one foot apart, being very careful not to 
disturb the plants left. A piece of a stick cut to the 
shape of a table-knife is an ideal tool for thinning out 
the young plants. It will be necessary to weed the 
rows by hand, while the plants are very small, for a 
distance of six inches on each side, as the cultivator, 
if run too close, will cover up the young plants. Keep 
the horse cultivator at work as often as possible to 
maintain moisture for the young roots. 
‘* By fall you will be surprised to learn how far the 
young roots have traveled and the crowns prepared for 
next year’s crop. Cover the rows with stable manure 
for the winter, and in spring give a dressing of one 
pound of nitrate of soda to one hundred feet of drill, 
and you will be well repaid for the extra labor and 
outlay by being able to cut asparagus of extra size in 
two years from the time of sowing the seed, doing 
away with the transplanting of two-year-old roots, 
and then waiting two more years before the first crop 
ead be cut.’? 
The principal objection which has been made against 
this system of not transplanting is that it does not 
admit of a careful choice of plants, as the plants must 
be kept in the places where sown, while in the trans- 
planting method we need use only the choicest plants; 
then, if two or three seeds come up close together, it 
