146 ASPARAGINOUS PLANTS. 



rally as during the first and second years. In autumn cut 

 and burn as before ; dig over the surface ; add a dressing of 

 manure ; and, in the ensuing spring, the beds may be cut 

 freely for use. 



Instead of transplanting the roots, asparagus-beds are 

 sometimes formed by sowing the seeds where the plants are 

 to remain. When this method is adopted the beds should be 

 laid out and trenched, as before directed, and about three 

 inches of soil removed from the entire surface. The seed 

 should then be sown in drills an inch deep, at the distances 

 marked out for the rows, and covered with rich, light soil. 

 When the seedlings are two or three inches high, they should 

 be thinned to nine or twelve inches apart ; and, in thinning, 

 the weakest plants should be removed. In the autumn, cut 

 down the plants after they have withered, stir and smooth the 

 surface, and add a dressing of manure. In the spring of the* 

 second year stir the surface again ; and, during the summer, 

 cultivate as before. In the autumn the plants will be ready 

 for the dressing, which consists of the soil previously taken 

 from the bed, with sufficient well-digested compost added to 

 cover the crowns of the roots five or six inches in depth. 

 The after-culture is similar to that of beds from transplanted 

 roots. 



" Asparagus-beds should be enriched every autumn with a 

 liberal application of good compost containing some mixture 

 of salt ; the benefit of which will be evident, not only in the 

 quantity, but in the size and quality, of the produce. The 

 dressing should be applied after the removal of the decayed 

 stalks, and forked in, that its enriching properties may be 

 washed to the roots of the plants by winter rains. 



" In general, transplanted Asparagus comes up quite slen- 

 der the first year ; is larger the second ; and, the third year, 

 a few shoots may be fit for cutting. It is nearly in perfection 

 the fourth year ; and, if properly managed, will annually give 



