ASP 



ASP 



11 



distance from each other. Cover 

 (hem by tiliing up the trench with 

 the blackest of the earth which 

 was taken out. If you plant roots, 

 the shoots may be cut the second 

 year after ; if seeds, they will not 

 be fit to cut till the third year. 

 All the shoots which come up be- 

 fore the middle of June, may be 

 cut off without injuring the roots : 

 After which time, the late shoots 

 should be left to run up, and seed ; 

 otherwise the roots will be weak- 

 ened. The seeds may be well pre- 

 served on the branches through the 

 winter, hung up in a dry situation. 



This plant grows well in ground 

 that is shaded. The sprouts will be 

 very large and tender ; but they will 

 not be so early. It is not amiss to 

 have one bed in a shady place, to 

 supply the table, after the season 

 is over for cutting the first. In 

 autumn, after the tops are turned 

 white by the frost, they should be 

 cleared off, and a layer of dung, or 

 rich soil, an inch thick, laid over 

 the bed. This should be done 

 yearly, and the bed kept clear of 

 vreeds. If the bed should get too 

 high by this management, the sur- 

 face may be taken otf with a spade 

 early in the spring, to the depth of 

 two inches, before the young 

 shoots are in the way. But when 

 this is done, a thin dressing of rotten 

 dung or compost should be laid on. 



The soil for asparagus should be 

 the best which the garden alfords, 

 not wet nor too strong and stub- 

 born, but such as is moderately 

 light and pliable, and will readily 

 fall to pieces in digging or raking, 

 &c. Mr. M'Mahon recommends 

 the dividing of a plantation of as- 



paragus into beds four feet and an 

 half wide, with alleys two feet wide 

 between each bed. And at each 

 corner of every bed, let a firm 

 stake be driven into the ground, to 

 serve as a mark for the alleys. 



Four rows of asparagus, accord- 

 ing to this writer, are to be plant- 

 ed in each bed, and ten or twelve 

 inches distance to be allowed be- 

 tween plant and plant in the row; 

 and the outside rows of each bed 

 should be eight inches from the 

 edge. The plants should not be 

 more than two years old, and most 

 good gardeners prefer those of 

 one, and Mr. M'Mahon recom» 

 mends the latter in preference to 

 the former, from experience. 



Tlie following is Mi'. M'Mahon's 

 method of planting asparagus. 



" Strain your line along the bed 

 eight inches from the edge ; then 

 with a spade cut out a small trench 

 or drill close to the line, about six 

 inches deep, making that side next 

 the line nearly upright; and when 

 one trench is opened, plant that 

 before you open another, placing 

 the plants upright ten or twelve in- 

 ches distance in the row. 



" In planting these plants, ob- 

 serve that they must not be placed 

 flat in the bottom of the trench, but 

 nearly upright against the bank of 

 the trench or drill, and so that the 

 crown of the plants may also stand 

 upright, and two or three inches 

 below the surface of the ground ; 

 let them be all placed an equal 

 depth, spreading their roots some- 

 what regular against the back of 

 the trench, and at the same time 

 drawing a little earth up against 

 them with the hand as you place 



