124 TRUCK-FARMING AT THE SOUTH. 



sprouts appear. The crown grows laterally, the base of 

 every succeeding bud, during the life of the plant, re- 

 maining at about the same depth. This lateral manner 

 of growth, and the position of the buds, are shown in 

 fig. 15. The deeper the plant can be placed, due regard 

 being had to the requisites of an early and profitable 

 growth, the better, as the crowns will be less liable to 

 injury at the hands and knives of careless cutters of 

 the crop. The old method of close planting of aspara- 

 gus upon trenched ground, with a subterranean layer, 

 three feet deep, of oyster shells, or brickbats, for drain- 

 age, and with the idea of preventing the too deep growth 

 of the roots, has been abandoned. One might as well ex- 

 pect to see stalks of corn grow thirteen feet high, and 

 thick in proportion, when the grain is sown broadcast for 

 fodder, as to look for good " grass " from the old man- 

 ner of planting. 



An old asparagus plant makes an enormous growth of 

 root, both as regards its mass and length, and wide 

 planting admits of these roots securing a sufficiency of 

 food, and of their making a vigorous growth without 

 crowding. 



SETTING OUT THE PLANTS. 



The plants should be carefully lifted from the seed 

 bed with a digging fork, without bruising the roots. 

 These, if very long and irregular in length, may be 

 shortened back a little. 



The distances in the row being marked off at from two 

 to two and a half feet, or even three feet, a plant is 

 dropped at each place, and the planter, following, holds 

 the plant at the proper depth, say six inches, against 

 the land side, or cut, with the roots spread out from the 

 crown in a fan-shaped manner, and, with a single sweep 

 of the left hand, fixes it in position with loose soil from 

 the top of the furrow. The subsequent filling in may be 



