CULTURE IN DIFFERENT LOCALITIES 147 
asparagus roots in. Proceed with the other rows in 
the same manner, and you will have a good-looking 
plantation. 
The larger growers in Concord set the plants two 
feet apart in the row and have the rows four feet apart. 
‘The plants are set in the bottom of the furrow, covered 
two inches, and should level up by fall so that the 
crowns will be six or seven inches below the surface. 
The furrows may be made very deep, so that manure 
can be placed in the bottom, or fertilizer may be strewn 
before the plants are set or after. The roots should be 
spread out carefully in the bottom of the furrow, care 
being taken to have them in line. The bed should be 
cultivated with a fine-tooth cultivator or weeder often 
enough to prevent the growthof weeds. Keep the bed 
clean and do not have the trenches filled in before the 
last of September. The tops should not be cut in the 
fall of the first year, as the snow will be held by them, 
and thereby protect the roots to some extent. Some 
growers spread coarse manure on their beds in the fall 
to prevent the soil from being blown away and also to 
prevent winter killing, which, however, is rare. 
In the second year the bed may be plowed or 
wheel-harrowed in the spring as early as possible. Con- 
cord growers use animal manure or chemical fertil- 
izers, as the case may be or as the bed may require. 
The bed should be smooth harrowed just before the 
new shoots appear, and good clean cultivation given 
during the season. After harrowing or plowing in the 
third year, sow your chemicals or fertilizer broadcast 
and harrow in. A good formula for asparagus is: 
Nitrate of soda, 300 to 4oo pounds; muriate of potash, 
