ASPARAGUS. 195 



will be found convenient to stretch a line, and with the spade cut 

 a trench about six inches deep. In this trench the plants are 

 set, spreading the roots out carefully, and the crown covered 

 about two inches deep with earth. The best time for setting 

 the plants is in the spring, after the ground has become settled, 

 usually from the middle of April to the middle of May. As 

 soon as weeds begin to make their appearance, which they will 

 usually do before the Asparagus buds appear, it will be found a 

 very expeditious, and at the same time convenient method ©f 

 destroying them, to give the beds a light raking with the steel 

 rake. This raking may be repeated, if required, until the 

 Asparagus buds show themselves at the surface. 



The after cultivation consists chiefly in keeping the 

 ground free from weeds, and the surface loose and friable. In 

 those parts of the Dominion where the snow does not lie on the 

 ground to a sufficient depth to keep the ground from being 

 deeply frozen, it will be found advantageous to cover the bed 

 with coarse manure, to the depth of four or five inches. As 

 soon as the stalks are dead in the fall, they should be cut down 

 at the surface of the ground and the top dressing of coarse 

 manure put on. Although the plant is sufficiently hardy to 

 endure the frosts of winter, experience has shown us that the 

 plants which are thus protected start earlier in the spiing, and, 

 as it is always desirable to get fresh vegetables from the garden 

 as early as possible, this light winter protection becomes very 

 desirable. As soon as the weather becomes settled in spring the 

 coarser parts should be raked off, leaving only the fine manxire. 

 Salt is a special manxire of great benefit to this plant in those 

 parts of the country lying remote from the sea shore ; though it 

 is said that, in the vicinity of the sea, its use is not attended 

 with any benefit. It should be applied in the spring to the 

 surface of the ground, strewn upon it at the rate of tlu^e pounds 

 to the square yard. Being naturally a marine plant the salt 

 supplies that which is wanting, in our inland districts, to the 

 health and vigor of the plant, while it destroys many weeds and 



