ASPARAGUS 187 



Sometimes the beds or benches of the greenhouse are 

 used for forcing asparagus. If there is a good market 

 for the product, it may pay as well as lettuce or other 

 more commonly grown greenhouse crops. 



A Pennsylvania grower has been highly successful in 

 forcing asparagus in a house which is about 20 by 50 

 feet in size.. Almost the entire structure is below the 

 surface of the ground. That is, the brick walls which are 

 about 8 feet high extend less than a foot above .the 

 ground. The roof, which slopes slightly, is made of glass 

 and sash-bars which extend across the entire width of the 

 house. There are three tiers of beds in this structure ar- 

 ranged in the same manner as for the culture of mush- 

 rooms. It is seen at once that the house is economical in 

 construction as well as in heating. The few heating pipes 

 needed are connected with the furnace of the residence. 

 Several crops may be grown in this house during the 

 winter. The owner is well pleased with the results. 



Sheds in connection with greenhouses or potting rooms 

 are often used for the forcing of asparagus. It may also 

 be grown in cellars which are warm enough. A common 

 plan in this country and in Europe is to use either manure 

 or steam-heated frames or hotbeds. When manure is 

 used, the roots must not be planted until the violent heat 

 has subsided, or small, spindling shoots will be produced. 

 If the climate is severe and the roots are forced during 

 the winter months, there should be a depth in the hotbed 

 of not less than 30 inches of manure. 



Soil. Any fine soil that contains a large proportion of 

 organic matter will be suitable for forcing this crop. It 

 is possible that nearly as good results might be obtained 

 by planting in sand or coal ashes. If the roots obtain 

 even a small percentage of nutrients from the earth dur- 

 ing the period of forcing, then it would be desirable, of 

 course, to use rich soil. Inasmuch as this seems to be 

 a debatable question, the safe practice is to use fertile 

 soil that will absorb water promptly after its application. 



