ASPARAGUS. 



27 



ASPARAGUS. 



line longitudinally along the beds, a foot 

 from the edge ; then with a spade cut out 

 a small trench or drill verticle to the line, 

 six inches deep. In this trench set the 

 plants upright against the vertical side, 

 so that the crown of the plant stands 

 upright, and two or three inches below 

 the surface of the ground, spreading out 

 the roots against the back of the trench, 

 and drawing' a little earth round the roots 

 with the hand to steady them. When the 

 whole row is planted, with a rake draw 

 the earth into the trench, round the roots 

 of the plants ; then proceed with the next 

 row in the same manner. 



Management after Planting . As a plan- 

 tation of asparagus only comes into bearing 

 the third year, it is sometimes customary 

 to sow a thin crop of onions over the beds 

 at the time of planting, afterwards raking 

 the surface of the beds smooth. As soon 

 as they begin to grow, give a good watering 

 with salt -and- water, about the strength of 

 sea- water ; then keep the bed clear of 

 weeds, pulling up all onions, or other sur- 

 face crops, where they come up close to the 

 plants, and the new beds will suffer no injury. 



Spring Digging and Dressing. Estab- 

 lished beds of asparagus require top dress- 

 ing every spring, and March is the best 

 month for the purpose. This is done by 

 digging in with a three-pronged fork, with 

 short flat tines, a spring dressing of well- 

 rotted manure, which has been laid on the 

 beds in the previous autumn, more or less 

 thick, according to the state of the beds, 

 loosening every part to a moderate depth, 

 but avoiding the crowns of the plants. 

 This gives free access to the light and air, 

 and free percolation for the water. Im- 

 mediately after this dressing, rake the beds 

 smooth and regular before the plants begin 

 to shoot. 



Asparagus, Cutting. 



This is an operation of some delicacy. It 



should be cut with a saw-edged knife, 

 having a straight, narrow, taper- 

 ing blade, about six or eight 

 inches long, and an inch broad 

 at the haft, rounding off at the 

 point. When the shoots are fit 

 to cut, the knife is slipped per- 

 pendicularly close to the shoot, 

 cutting, or rather sawing, it off 

 slantingly three or four inches 

 below the surface, taking care 

 not to touch any young shoot 

 coming out of the same crown. 



Asparagus, Forcing. 



Asparagus is successfully 

 forced in the frame and melon 

 pit ; but the plants are not fit 

 to move before February. The 

 usual plan is to make up a 3-foot 

 bed, and cover it with three 

 inches of loamy soil, before putting on 

 the frame ; this allows more space in- 

 side. When the frame is on, and the 

 bed of a right temperature, a little soil 

 is put at the back of the frame, in the form 

 of a bank, about six inches high, and slop- 

 ing to the front. On this bank, place a 

 row of asparagus roots, laying them almost 

 flat, as this admits of covering them, with- 

 out an undue thickness of soil. When the 

 first roots are laid, cover them with a few 

 inches of soil, and make another bank six 

 inches from the first, on which lay another 

 row of roots ; and so proceed till the frame 

 is full. To maintain the temperature of 

 the bed, fresh manure should be piled up 

 all round it on every side. 



Asparagus, French Mode of 

 Growing. 



The French practice is to dig a trench 

 five feet wide and the length of the bed, 

 laying aside the best of the soil tor surface 

 use. On the bottom of the trench is laid, 

 first, six inches of rich stable manure; 



