150 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



up and burn on the ground, as your plants are too deep in the ground to be 

 affected by the fire. Some time in November or December and not later 

 than the first of January, take two horses and plow, and go along the rows 

 close to the stubs that you cut off, throwing the furrows from the rows, then 

 follow along with sharp hoes and cut the stubs way low down; also break 

 down the little ridge that will be left between the furrows. The sun and air 

 will warm and start the roots to growing, sometimes as early as the first of 

 January, and the first plowing ought to be done before the sprouts begin to 

 make their appearance. 



Along in the early spring after the heavy rains are over, and the plants 

 have begun to push up nice healthy sprouts, take two horses and plow, and 

 reverse the operation by throwing the earth back onto the rows, leaving the 

 dead furrow in the center between the rows, covering the plants up deeply, 

 leaving the plants under the ridge. Then take a fine, sharp-toothed harrow, 

 and drag along the rows the same way the plow went, which will cut up 

 and drag out all clods and lumps, and leave the earth in fine condition for 

 the sprouts to come up through, for should the ground not be in good order, 

 your "grass" will be crippled and crooked. It will also be tough, fibrous 

 and bitter. 



Continue thorough cultivation with plenty of manure, no matter what 

 kind or how rough. At the same time finely rotted manure is profitable. 

 There is one thing to be borne in mind in the producing of asparagus ; you 

 can't fertilize too much. The better cultivated and the more fertilizers the 

 greater will be the quantity and the better will be the quality produced. We 

 plow thoroughly about three times a year, and harrow as often, and in the 

 cutting season keep the weeds out with hoes. 



The method of alternately opening and covering the rows is 

 somewhat conditioned upon the local soil and rainfall. The looser 

 the soil and the lighter the winter rain, the less need of such opera- 

 tion, because in such situations the heat readily penetrates and the 

 roots answer quickly without uncovering, which may too greatly 

 facilitate evaporation and thus be dangerous in dry localities, even 

 in the rainy season. Where these conditions prevail thorough clean- 

 ing, plowing, and manuring will fit the field for the winter. Mr. 

 Murdock gives this advice: 



In the fall or early winter, when the tops have turned brown, the ground 

 should be cleaned and all rubbish burned, for if delayed the seed will drop 

 and get scattered, which will come up and may prove eventually to be the 

 worst weed the grower will have to contend with, for if allowed to grow 

 after once started it will soon fill the whole ground with a mass of roots, 

 and very soon. spoil the whole patch. As soon as the ground is cleaned the 

 whole field should be well cultivated, and coarse manure spread over the 

 entire surface, so that the rains can dissolve and carry down the soluble 

 plant food to the roots. As the period of rest here in our mild and warm 

 winters is very short, with this strong and persisting plant no delay should 

 be indulged in furnishing the necessary plant food. 



