60 ASPARAGUS 
center and the rootlets spread out evenly and horizon- 
tally, like the spokes of a wheel, and at once covered 
with three inches of fine, mellow soil, which is pressed 
around them. If the ground is dry at planting-time it 
should be pressed down quite firmly about the roots, so 
as to prevent their drying out, and to hasten their 
growth. 
To still more insure success it is an excellent plan 
to draw up little hills of soil in the bottom of the 
FIG. I8—CROSS-SECTION OF ASPARAGUS BED AFTER PLANTING 
trench over which to place the roots with the crowns 
resting on the top, thus raising the crowns a few 
inches above the extremities of the roots and providing 
for them a position similar to what they stood in before 
transplanting, as seen in Fig. 17. 
The subsequent covering of the roots can usually 
be done with a one-horse plow, from which the mold- 
board has been removed, passing down the sides of the 
row. ‘This leaves the plants in a depression, the soil 
thrown out in opening the rows forming a ridge on 
each side, as shown in Fig. 18. This depression will 
gradually become filled during the process of cultiva- 
tion the succeeding summer. 
