ASP 



67 



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ASP 



be exposed as short a time as possible 

 to the air, and to this end it is advisable 

 to keep them until planted in a basket 

 covered with a little sand. The mode 

 of planting is to form drills or narrow 

 trenches tive or six inches deep and a 

 foot apart, cut out with the spade, the 

 line side of each drill being made per- 

 pendicular, and against this the [)ianls 

 are to be placed, with their crowns one 

 and a half or two inches below the sur- 

 face, and twelve inches asunder. The 

 roots must be spread out wide in the 

 form of a fan, a little earth being drawn 

 over each to retain it in its position 

 whilst the row is proceeded with. For 

 the sake of convenience, one drill 

 should be made at a time, and the 

 plants inserted and covered completely 

 before another is commerced. When 

 the planting is completed, the bed is to 

 be lightly raked over, and its outline dis- 

 tinctly marked out. Care must be had 

 never to tread on the beds — they are 

 formed narrow to render it unnecessary 

 — for everything tending to consoli- 

 date them is injurious, as, from the 

 length of time they have to continue, 

 without a possibility of stirring them to 

 any considerable depth, they have a 

 natural tendency to have a closer tex- 

 ture than is beneficial to vegetation. 

 Water must be given in dry weather 

 daily until the plants are established. 

 The paths between the beds are to be 

 two and a half feet wide. 



Mr. Beaton says, that "By far the 

 best way of growing asparagus is in 

 single rows three ftct apart, and nine 

 inches plant from plant; but if the 

 ground is not deeper than two feet or 

 thirty inches, or if room is scarce, the 

 rows need not be more than thirty 

 inches asunder. 



I have grown asparagus this way 



gathering the crop. The hollow be- 

 tween the little ridges is then filled up 

 with a powerful compost, consisting of 

 equal portions of sandy soil, leaf tnould, 

 and pigeon's dung; the whole is then 

 drenched with liquid manure from the 

 stables, cowhouses, or laundry, and the 

 foreman of the kitchen garden gels 

 carte blanche to water the asparagus 

 any day through the growing season, 

 when he can best spare his men, or at 

 all events every fortnight, and always 

 with liquid manure if possible. As to 

 the (juantity of water, the only instruc- 

 tion he gets is that he cannot drown 

 them. This is cultivating the asparagus 

 in summer." — Gurd. Chron. 



Subseque?it cultivation. — Throughout 

 the year care must be taken to keep 

 the beds clear of weeds, and in the 

 spring and summer apply liquid manure 

 twice a week plentifully. In the latter 

 end of October or commencement of 

 November, the beds are to have the 

 winter dressing. The stalks must be 

 cut down and cleared away, and the 

 weeds hoed olf into the paths, care 

 being taken not to commence whilst 

 the stems are at all green, for if they 

 are cut down whilst in a vegetating 

 state the roots are very prone to shoot 

 again, and consequently are propor- 

 tionably weakened. 



On the richness of the ground and 

 warmth of the season the sweetness of 

 asparagus depends. The dung needs 

 merely to be laid regularly over the 

 bed, and the weeds, as well as some 

 manure, to be slightly pointed into the 

 paths, some of the mould from which 

 must be spread to the depth of two 

 inches over the dung just laid upon the 

 beds. In the end of March, or early 

 in April, before the plants begin to 

 sprout, the rows are to be stirred be- 



for the last fitteen years, and give them tweeu to a moderate depth with the 

 no dung in winter, merely clearing off | asparagus fork, running it slantingly 

 the stalks and weeds in October, and two or three inches beneath the sur- 



pointing over the surface about two 

 inches deep with a fork, and leaving it 

 as rough as possible. 



Early in March, when the surface 



face, as the object is merely to stir the 

 surface and slightly mix it with the 

 dung. 



Great care must be taken not in the 



is quite dry, it is raked down, and least to disturb the plants. Some gar- 

 about two inches of soil drawn over the deners recommend the beds should only- 

 crowns from each side of the rows, I be hoed again, so fearful are they of the 

 which gives the ground something of injury which may be done to the stools ; 

 the appearance of a plot of peas earthed but if it be done carefully, as above di- 

 iip for the first time. When the gather- rected, the fork is the best implement 

 jng is nearly over, the ground is stirred . to be employed. This course of culti- 

 again, to loosen the trumping made in | vation is to be continued annually, but 



