The Culture of Vegetables 



recommended, but an average manuring will suffice, because Asparagus 

 can be effectually aided by annual top-dressings, and proper surface 

 culture is of great importance in the subsequent stages. The planta- 

 tion must be in an open spot ; the preparation of the ground should 

 commence in the autumn, and be continued through the winter, a 

 heavy dressing of half-rotten stable manure being put on in the first 

 instance, and trenched in two feet deep. In the course of a month 

 the whole piece should be trenched back. If labour is at command 

 a third trenching may be done with advantage, and the surface may 

 be left ridged up until the time arrives to level it down for seed. It 

 will be obvious that this routine is of a somewhat costly character, 

 but we are supposing the plantation is to remain for many years, 

 making an abundant return for the first investment. Still we are 

 bound to say that a capital supply for a moderate table may be ob- 

 tained by preparing a piece of good ground in an open situation in 

 a quite ordinary manner with one deep digging in winter, adding at 

 the time some six inches or so of fat stable manure, and leaving it 

 thus until the time arrives for sowing the seed. Then it will be well 

 to level down and point in half a spade deep a thin coat of decayed 

 manure to make a nice kindly seed-bed. 



Where a soil known to be unsuitable for Asparagus, as a damp 

 clay or pasty loam, has to be made the best of for the purpose, it will 

 be found an economical practice to remove the top spit, which we 

 will suppose to be turf or old cultivated soil, and on the space so 

 cleared prepare a bed of the best mixture possible under the circum- 

 stances. Towards this mixture there is the top spit just referred to. 

 Add any available lime rubbish from destroyed buildings, sand, peat, 

 leaf-mould, surface-soil raked from the rear of the shrubberies, &c., 

 and the result should be a good compost obtained at an almost 

 nominal cost. 



At this juncture several questions of considerable importance 

 arise. And first, whether the crop shall be grown on the flat or in 

 raised beds. Where the soil is sufficiently deep, and the drainage 

 perfect, the flat system answers well. The advantages of raised beds 

 are that they deepen the soil, assist the drainage, promote warmth, 

 and thus aid the growth of an early crop. In fact, raised beds render 

 it possible to grow Asparagus on soils from which this vegetable could 

 not otherwise be obtained. The preparation is the same in either 

 case, and therefore we shall make no further allusion to flat beds, but 

 leave those to adopt them who find their soil and requirements suit- 

 able. Now comes the question of distance, on which depends the 



8 



