78 FRENCH MARKET-GARDENING 



As soon as the shoots begin to grow, a little air may 

 be admitted during the day if the weather is favourable, 

 and sprinklings with tepid water must be given from 

 time to time. At the end of about a fortnight, the 

 first shoots will be ready for cutting, and others will 

 continue to appear for about eight or ten weeks, during 

 which they are gathered every day or two, the crop 

 from each light varying from 6,000 to 8,000 shoots. 

 These, being exposed to the light, develop green 

 colouring, differing in this way from the white Aspara- 

 gus produced in darkness. 



When the crowns cease to produce any more growths 

 the beds may be dismantled, or they may be made 

 up again if it is still worth while to force another crop 

 the same season. Once the roots have been forced in 

 this way to produce " Green " Asparagus, they should 

 be taken up and thrown away, as they are practically 

 useless afterwards. 



Open-air Culture. It may be useful to English 

 readers if the French method of growing Asparagus 

 in the open air is described. So long as the soil is light 

 and rather chalky, deeply cultivated and well manured 

 at the beginning, the difficulties in the way of securing 

 good Asparagus are not insuperable. A piece of land 

 well exposed towards the south, and free from trees 

 and shrubs, may be regarded as the most suitable 

 place for an Asparagus plantation. At the same time 

 shelter from the north and east by walls, fences, or 

 hedges is a great boon, as the wind from those quarters 

 has a retarding if not chilling effect upon the young 

 growths in spring. 



Preparing and Planting the Beds. Having selected 

 the site, the soil is dug about 18 in. deep and a 



