164 ASPARAGUS 
ASPARAGUS IN FRANCE 
Asparagus is grown much more abundantly and to 
a much larger size in France than in England. The 
country is half covered with it in some places near 
Paris ; farmers grow it abundantly, cottagers grow it, 
and everybody eats it. Near Paris it is chiefly grown 
for market in the valley of Montmorency and at Argen- 
teuil, and it is cultivated extensively for market in 
many other places. About Argenteuil several thou- 
sand persons are employed in the culture of asparagus. 
It is grown to a large extent among the grape-vines 
as wellas alone. The vine under field culture is cut 
down to near the old stool every year, and allowed to 
make a few growths which are tied erect to a stake. 
One plant is put in each open spot, and given every 
chance of forming a large specimen, and this it gener- 
ally does. The growing of asparagus among the vines 
is a very usual mode, and a vast space is thus covered 
with it about here. 
It is also grown in other and special ways. Per- 
haps the simplest and most worthy of adoption is to 
grow it in shallow trenches. These are usually about 
four feet apart. The soil generally is a rather stiff 
sandy loam with calcareous matter in some parts, but 
the soil has not all to do with the peculiar excellence 
of the vegetable. Itis the careful attention to the 
wants of the plant which produce such good results. 
Here, for instance, is a young plantation planted in 
March, and from the little ridges of soil between the 
trenches have just been dug a crop of small early 
potatoes. In England the asparagus would be left to 
