724 THE farmers' handbook. 



The cutting of the grass is done with an asparagus knife (usually home- 

 made), which consists of a saw-edge of a few inches long on the end of a 

 knife-blade. A small bread-saw with the end 2 or 3 inches filed, and given 

 a fine serrated edge, acts admirably. 



In this locality the bunches, after having been tied with home-grown New 

 Zealand flax, are made tight by placing a large butt of asparagus, cut wedge- 

 shaped, into the end of the bunch. This is a practice that should be dis- 

 couraged in favour of tightening with full sticks. The best " grass " is tied 

 with two bands. The use of raffia, strips of New Zealand flax, or red tape 

 is recommended, as giving a better appearance than binder twine. 



Duration of Beds. 



As an instance of the lasting qualities of the crop when properly tended, 

 it may be mentioned that a small bed of this crop belonging to Mr. Edward 

 Twynam, of Goulburn, is still bearing heavily, although it was an estab- 

 lished bed when Mr. Twynam purchased the property in the year 1868. 

 This makes the bed now at least fifty years old. 



On the other hand, the Chinese growers at Mascot cut the crop for too 

 long a period each season, and do not allow sufficient top growth for recu- 

 peration, with the result that the beds remain in cultivation for only a few 

 years. 



RHUBARB. 



Khubarb is a perennial plant, having thick acid stems, which are largely 

 used for pies and tarts. It requires rich soil or heavy feeding by fertilisa- 

 tion, chiefly in the shape of organic matter, such as stable manure. It is 

 essential that the root crowns be fully formed before large pullinprs of the 

 leaves are made. Many people make the mistake of drawing on the plant 

 almost as soon as any large leaves have formed. As with asparagus, this 

 treatment does not allow of the development of the plant; and consequently 

 large yields cannot be expected for any length of time. 



For planting out, the roots of older plants may be divided and set — care 

 being taken that each root-piece contains a bud or crown — or one-year-old 

 roots may be used. These can be purchased from any seed merchant, or the 

 plants may be raised from seed. The latter method takes a year longer in 

 establishing the plantation, but it is the cheaper of the two. 



If this method is adopted, the seed should be sown in the spring in pre- 

 pared seed-beds containing very rich soil. It should be sown in shallow 

 drills about 1 foot apart, and when properly up the plants should be thinned 

 to a distance of 6 inches apart in the row. Every care should be given 

 and the plants induced to make growth by watering with liquid manure as 

 occasion demands. These should be fit for transplanting to the field by the 

 end of winter or early spring. The plants should be set at distances of 

 4 feet x 4 feet apart, or even more. Unless the soil is naturally rich, such 

 as is found on the alluvial flats adjoining a number of our rivers, the 

 places in the field where the plants are to be set should have been fertilised 

 with well-rotted stable manure prior to planting. 



The first year's cultivation in the field should aim at keeping down weed 

 growth and stirring the soil, and no pullings should be made. During the 

 following autumn or winter each plant should be given a dressing of farm- 

 yard manure, which, later, should be dug in around the plants. A light 



