SOME OF THE COMMON VEGETABLES 179 



quires extra care. When the ears have ripened as much as 

 they will on the stalk, bunches of three or four ears can be 

 hung up in airy rooms to dry out further. They should be 

 protected from a temperature much below freezing. 



Asparagus is a native of Europe. It is very hardy and 

 when once set it will produce a crop for many years. It will 

 grow on any good soil not too wet. Manuring with well- 

 rotted manure will pay well. The plants may be raised from 

 seed sown in spring, but it is a saving of time to buy roots 

 already started. The plants should be set about six inches 

 deep and three or more feet apart. Transplanting should be 

 done during the spring months. In the autumn the canes 

 can be cut down and the land worked over three or four 

 inches deep. It can be cultivated again in the spring. No 

 shoots should be cut until the second spring after setting, and 

 it is better to wait until the third. Shoots are cut when they 

 are about four to six inches above ground and they are usually 

 cut about two inches below the surface. Care must be taken 

 not to cut off shoots which have not come through the ground. 

 Cuttings may be made every few days until the middle of 

 June. After cutting has stopped, the ground should be culti- 

 vated without regard to the rows and a good coat of rotted 

 manure worked in. This puts the bed in shape for next 

 spring, except that all old canes should be cut down and re- 

 moved late in the autumn. 



Celery is a European plant which has been introduced 

 into this country and is raised for its leaf stems. The seed is 

 sown in spring in small boxes. When the plants are a couple 

 of inches high they are transplanted to larger boxes and set 

 about two inches apart. They are set in the field about June, 

 in rows three feet apart, and six inches apart in the row. For 



