304 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 



cover them with an inch of soil. They come up slowly. 

 Mark the rows with a few radish seeds and cultivate 

 before the asparagus seeds come up. Thin the plants 

 to not less than three inches apart and cultivate during 

 the entire summer. Cover with litter in the fall and 

 set the roots in their permanent place the next spring. 



Transplanting. Dig trenches three feet apart and 

 eighteen inches deep, and in the bottom tramp six 

 inches of well-rotted manure. Cover this with six inches 

 of good garden soil ; that taken from the bottom of the 

 trench must not be used. Set the plants eighteen inches 

 apart and spread the roots carefully. Fill in soil around 

 the roots and water to help the operation ; then fill the 

 trench. If the soil is heavy, do not fill the trench more 

 than half full, but put the rest in gradually while culti- 

 vating during the spring and summer. 



Time may be saved by buying roots. Seedsmen who 

 have special skill in growing plants may be able to fur- 

 nish stronger roots than those grown in the home garden. 



Culture. With a garden rake go over the plot at least 

 once each week until the shoots reach the surface of the 

 soil. Then cultivate between the rows and pull weeds 

 near the plants by hand. Keep the surface soil loose 

 during the entire summer. 



In the fall clear off and burn the tops and apply a 

 good coating of manure. The manure should be as free 

 from weed seeds as possible. In the spring, fork the 

 manure into the soil. The plants should be set deep 

 enough so that the whole bed may b$ spaded. Continue 



