CHA1-. IV VILLA GARDENING 415 



ripening. Sometimes a stolen crop of some kind of vegetable 

 or salad is taken from the beds the first year ; but, if permitted, it 

 shoidd be of the briefest, lightest character, such as Radishes or 

 Lettuces, or a light crop of Cauliflowers, selecting a small early 

 land like Veitch's Forcing. Some people attach a good deal 

 of importance to salt as a manure for Asparagus, and in some 

 instances, especially on porous soil, it would do good ; but in 

 no case should more than half-a-pound to the square yard be given. 

 Plenty of manure there must be, and, as I have already stated, 

 liquid manure is the most valuable of all. This should be given in 

 summer during the time of growth, for that is the time when the 

 next year's heads are being formed ; and I may say that 



Liquid Manure from the farm tank contains all in the way 

 of manm-ial matter which the i:)lants require. When the third 

 year comes round, if the jjlants have done well, a few dishes may 

 be had by stealing a head here and there, but there must be no 

 harsh ruthless dealing with the young plants. ]\Iany plantations 

 of Asparagus have been hopelessly ruined by being too covetous in 

 the beginning. The young plants die, and unsightly blanks appear 

 in the rows. Nothing in the wdiole culture of Asparagus requires 

 so much judgment as 



Cutting the Produce. — No matter how much care and skill 

 have been bestowed upon the raising of the plants and the prepara- 

 tion of the land, if the knife be used recklessly the result will be 

 failure. Until the 2:)lants get very strong it is better to take only 

 a head here and there than to cut all, as may be done with impunity 

 in the case of older stronger plants. Many growlers, in dealing with 

 established plantations, cut everything which comes up till some 

 specified time which has been found best in that particular latitude. 

 Speaking generally, the time will probably be from the 20th to 

 the end of Jiuie. To cut after that time usually weakens the beds 

 too much and leads to the plants dying, and this is the chief cause 

 of blanks arising in the beds, which occasion so much annoyance, and 

 are so troublesome to fill quickly and well afterwards. In thrusting 

 the knife into the ground to cut a head, we must be careful that 

 none of the advancing shoots are injured. This is not an imaginary 

 danger, and that is my reason for mentioning it. 



Varieties. — There are several varieties in the catalogues of 

 the best houses, but it is questionable if all are distinct. There 

 are certainly two — the purple and the green — and I do not think 

 there is much to choose between them. Probably if we obtain a 

 packet of seeds and sow them we shall obtain both varieties from 

 that packet. I do not say that it is not possible to purchase them, 

 and really have them separate. I can only say tliat I have gene- 



