ASPARAGUS 83 



years. It must be borne in mind, however, that 

 there will be more crowns to cover with mounds of 

 soil in spring of the fourth year than there were in the 

 third ; and there will be still more crowns for cutting 

 in the fifth and sixth years than in those preceding 

 them until every clump of Asparagus is in full 

 bearing and thoroughly established. 



Each year the stout shoots only should be gathered 

 from the strongest plants, the weakest shoots and 

 plants being given another season of growth to 

 enable them to gather more strength. And in any 

 case no shoots should be gathered after the middle 

 of June, as each plant must be allowed to develop 

 a certain number of shoots to store up nourishment 

 in the crowns before the autumn. 



From the sixth year onwards, the mounds placed 

 over the crowns in March may be a foot or a little 

 more in height, and also wider at the base, to completely 

 cover the clump or " stool " of the plant beneath. 

 When the shoots have pushed their way a couple of 

 inches through the mounds they will have become 

 tipped with rose, violet, or purple, and are then ready 

 for gathering a process that may have to be repeated 

 almost every day, according to the rapidity of the 

 growth. After cutting has ceased, the mounds are 

 levelled, and the plants are securely staked and tied 

 in the way already described. In October the stems 

 are to be cut down, leaving a few inches sticking out 

 of the soil to indicate their position. Some of the 

 old soil is taken away from the crowns, and a nice 

 compost of manure and a little gritty soil is sub- 

 stituted for it. Once the plants are in full bearing, 

 an extra special dressing of manure may be given 



