THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



CI 



ASPARAGUS CULTUEE. 



To judge from the fact that we re- 

 ceive more inquiries about Asparagus 

 than almost any other vegetable, it 

 seems that although the mysteries and 

 secrets which were formerly considered 

 necessary for its cultivation have long 

 since been uncovered and proved to be 

 detrimental mther than otherwise, 

 there still clings to the popuhir mind 

 some mysterious halo connected with 

 the idea of Asparagus culture. And 

 yet it necessitates less labour and ex- 

 pense than almost any other garden 

 vegetable. The roots cost hardly more 

 than the seeds for other vegetables 

 occupying the same space, and the first 

 expense is the only one. While Peas 

 and Lettuce and the whole list of vege- 

 tables have to be sown every year, 

 Asparagus yields its delicious crop year 

 after year, without replanting, for 

 generations. 



The most frequent cause of failure 

 with Asparagus is too close planting. 

 Favorable soU and good roots are, of 

 course, necessary to obtain good re- 

 sults, but these can amount to but 

 little unless sufficient space is given 

 for theii* development. A deep, light, 

 sandy loam is best, but with proper 

 preparation any garden soil can be 

 made to produce a good crop. If so 

 heavy and wet that water stands on 

 the ground during winter, under-drain- 

 ing and deep working will be necessary 

 before planting. On ordinary garden 

 soil, deep plowing or spading and the 

 working in of enough stable manure — 

 a coating of four or five inches would 

 not be too much, although less will do 

 — is sufficient. If this can be done 

 during the fall or winter previous to 

 planting, so much the better. Where 

 practicable, it is far better to plant the 

 roots in long rows on one side of the 

 gaixlen than in short beds. A single 

 row of one hundred and fifty or two 



hundred plants, set eighteen inches or 

 two feet apart, will give an ample sup- 

 ply for a family of half a dozen, and, 

 during the height of the season, some 

 to sell or give away to neighbors who 

 are not so fortunate as to delight in an 

 Asparagus-bed. When more than one 

 row has to be planted, they should 

 never be nearer together than three 

 feet, and unless forced into very nan-ow 

 limits, a distance of four feet is to be 

 preferred. 



After the rows are marked out and 

 the line stretched, a ditch with one 

 side slanting and about twelve inches 

 deep is dug with a sharp spade. 

 Against the smooth side of the ditch 

 the plants are placed, and the roots 

 spread out so that the crowns are four 

 or five inches below the level of the 

 ground. A handful of soil is then 

 drawn over the roots and firmly 

 packed down ; more soil is then raked 

 in, so as to fill the ditch to within two 

 or three inches of the surface. In a few 

 weeks the sprouts will appear ; the 

 gi-ound has then to be loosened with 

 a cultivator or a hoe, and kept mellow 

 and clean during summer. At each 

 cultivating some soil should be drawn 

 into the remaining ditch, so as gradual- 

 ly to fill it entirely. 



Often it becomes desirable to plant 

 Asparagus without sufficient prepara- 

 tion having been given to the soil. In 

 such cases, a trench may be dug 

 eighteen inches deep and twelve or 

 fifteen inches wide. Rich stable-manure 

 is put into the trench and trodden 

 down so as to fill it one-half. A layer 

 of three inches of fine surface-soil is 

 thrown on the manure and shaped into 

 a ridge, with its highest point in the 

 center of the ditch ; on this ridge the 

 roots are placed at the proper dis- 

 tances, the rootlets evenly spread out 

 toward the sides and covered with 

 about one inch of soil, which has to be 



