HORTICULTURE 



257 



Among the gardener's important crops are the following: 



Asparagus. This is a hardy plant. Its seed may be 

 sowed either early in the spring or late in the fall. The 

 seeds should be planted in rows. If the plants are well 

 cultivated during the spring and summer, they will make 

 vigorous roots for transplanting in the autumn. 



In the fall, prepare a piece of land by breaking it 

 unusually deep and by manuring it heavily. After the 

 land is thoroughly pre- 

 pared, make in it fur- 

 rows for the asparagus 

 roots. These furrows 

 should be six inches 

 deep and three feet 

 apart. Then remove 

 the roots from the 

 rows where they have 

 been growing during 

 the summer, and set 

 them two feet apart in 

 the prepared furrows. 

 Cover at once. 



In the following spring, the young shoots must be well 

 cultivated. In order to economize space, beets or lettuce 

 may be grown between the asparagus rows during this 

 first season. With the coming of cold weather, the aspar- 

 agus must again be freely manured and all dead tops cut 

 off. Some plants will be -ready for market the second 

 spring. If the bed is kept free from weeds and well 

 manured, it will increase in productiveness from year to 

 year. 



FIG. 224. A CRATE OF ASPARAGUS 



