46 ASPARAGUS 
most extraordinary methods in order to bring the land 
into the most favorable condition for asparagus. Even 
now in some European countries, where labor is cheap, 
the entire ground is trenched to a depth of three or 
four feet, turning in at the same time all the available 
manure, seaweed, and other fertilizing material. 
A famous old-time asparagus bed in England was 
made in this manner: ‘‘ The land was trenched three 
feet deep in trenches three feet wide and cast up 
into rough ridges, after a crop of summer peas. All 
decaying vegetation in the rubbish yards and corners 
was at the same time well sorted and turned up. Early 
in autumn also were added some old mushroom, melon, 
and cucumber bed material, a lot of manure from 
piggeries, cow houses, and stables, a quantity of road- 
grit and sand, a quantity of ditch and drain parings, 
turfy loam and sods, quite three feet thick. These 
were all turned over four times and well incorporated 
together, between Michaelmas and Lady Day, as one 
would a dungheap, the whole being left in large 
ridges exposed to the frost. By April this compost 
was in a kindly state; it was, therefore, laid down and 
planted with good, clean one-year-old asparagus plants, 
which certainly grew in a most extraordinary way.’’ 
Another elaborate way of making an asparagus bed, 
formerly practiced in France, is described by Dr. 
Maccullogh as follows: ‘‘ A pit the size of the intended 
plantation is dug four feet in depth, and the mold 
taken from it must be sifted, taking care to reject all 
stones, even as low in size asa filbert nut. ‘The best 
part of the mold must then be laid aside before making 
up the beds. The materials of the bed are then to be 
