12 THE BOOK OF ASPARAGUS 



tinguished by the buried manure keeping the ground a 

 little moist, so that a dark line is observable, and 

 a Dutch hoe can be used between the drills before any 

 plants can be seen. When they shoot through the 

 ground the young seedlings are very small, so that any 

 one unaccustomed to their first appearance would not 

 see them. All weeds must from the first be kept away. 

 This is a very important matter, as young plants are 

 smothered in weeds by a few days' neglect, for of 

 course on well-manured lands weeds will grow rapidly 

 and vigorously. Indeed, I like to see land on which the 

 weeds grow freely, for it speaks well of the richness. 

 Weeding and hoeing are the two principal items through- 

 out the first season, but if the plants are not growing 

 fast a slight sprinkling of nitrate of soda will greatly 

 stimulate them. 



POSITIONS FOR PERMANENT PLANTATIONS 



I have said a word or two in reference to the proper 

 sites for asparagus culture. Many suitable places could 

 easily be found in almost every county of England 

 where with such soil as already described no fears need 

 arise as to the ultimate success. 



Every one will admit that in growing asparagus, 

 earliness is desirable. Hence it is necessary to obtain 

 the warmest spots on which to grow it, preferably a 

 spot with a full southern aspect. I alluded to the 

 desirability of affording protection from the roughest 

 winds for, when the plants are growing up during 

 August and September, we are occasionally visited by 

 rough gales and the stems are in many cases blown 

 down, and sometimes broken off. Where such happens, 

 new and premature growths will follow, which of course 

 weaken the plants and lessen their next year's yield. 

 The French growers put sticks to their plants to prevent 



