92 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



the exclusion of all others. However, some kinds are 

 found to do hetter in some localities than in others, hence, 

 as in fruits, no particular variety should he claimed to he 

 universally the best. 



ASPARAGUS.— {Asparagus officinalis.) 



Asparagus being a hardy perennial plant, that may be 

 grown on the same ground for twenty years without re- 

 newal, special care is required in forming the beds in 

 which it is to grow. This is done sometimes by trench- 

 ing to the depth of two or three feet, mixing each layer 

 of soil, as turned over, with two or three inches of well 

 rotted manure ; but for market purposes, on a large scale, 

 trenching is seldom resorted to ; deep and thorough pul- 

 verizing by the plow and subsoiler serving instead. The 

 soil best suited for Asparagus is a deep and rather sandy 

 loam, such as is often to be found on the borders of mead- 

 ows or on the margins of lakes — land formed by the wash- 

 ings of the higher grounds, and known as alluvial. 



Varieties. — There is considerable difference of opinion 

 concerning varieties. Some contending that there are five 

 or six, and others that there is only one variety, which is 

 sometimes modified by differences of soil or climate. In 

 this latter opinion we entirely coincide, believing that the 

 Asparagus officinalis of our gardens is confined to only 

 one variety, and that the so-called " Giant " can be made 

 gigantic or otherwise, just as we will it, and that the " pur- 

 ple top " variety will become a " green top " whenever the 

 composition of the soil is not of the kind to develop the 

 purple, and vice versa. All practical gardeners know how 

 differently soil and climate change the appearance of the 



