ASP 



ASP 



way, cutting out all such as grow immediately 

 about the Asparagus plants. 



In October, when the Asparagus 1 stalks begin 

 to decay, cut them down and clear off all weeds 

 into the alleys digging them two feet wide, bury- 

 ing the weeds therein, and spreading some of 

 the earth over the beds, as directed below. This 

 is all that is necessary until March, at which 

 time the beds should be deeply hoed and raked 

 smooth, permitting all the shoots to run up as in 

 the first summer; and in the following October cut 

 down the decayed haulm as before, and land up 

 the beds: in the spring following, which is the 

 second after planting, slightly fork-dig the beds 

 and rake them level. 



In this spring, as the shoots sometimes rise of 

 tolerable substance, it is occasionally the prac- 

 tice to gather a few of the largest which first 

 appear; "but it is much better to defer this till 

 the third or fourth year. 



Landing up anil manuring the Beds. — The time 

 to give the Asparagus-beds their winter dressing 

 is from the beginning of October to the latter 

 end of November. This, as mentioned above, 

 consists in cutting down the decayed stalks of 

 the plants and clearing them from weeds, digging 

 the alleys, and spreading some of the earth over 

 the surface of the beds, which is termed landing 

 up the beds. It is performed in the following 

 manner: the stems are cut down close, orwithin 

 an inch or two of the ground, with a knife; then 

 all the weeds removed with a sharp hoe, draw- 

 ing them oft' at the samj time to be buried in 

 the alleys; after this proceed to line out the 

 alleys, stretching it along the edges of the beds 

 about nine inches from each outward row of 

 plants, the stakes usually placed at the corners 

 of the beds, or the stumps of the stalks, serving 

 as guides. When this has been done, chop with 

 a spade the ground along by the direction of the 

 line, forming each bed four feet wide, and the 

 alleys two feet. The alleys are then to be dug 

 one spade or more deep, and a good portion of 

 the earth spread over each bed two or three inches 

 thick. As you proceed in digging let the weeds 

 drawn off the beds be trimmed into the bottom of 

 the alleys, and buried a due depth, observing to 

 land the beds all over of a regular thickness, so as 

 to make them about six or eight inches higher than 

 the level of the alleys, forming the edges of each 

 bed full and straight. This work must be re- 

 peated every autumn ; and before the earth is 

 laid on, it is a good practice to apply a covering 

 of well-rotted stable-dung in an even manner 

 over the whole surface. The drainingsof stables 

 and dunghills may likewise be applied with much 

 benefit in the autumnal season: but some only 

 make use of manure once in two or three years 



to their Asparagus-beds. But as the plants are of 

 strong growth, the more frequently this is done 

 the better. Instead of landing up the beds in 

 the autumn, it is the practice of the " Scotch 

 Forcing Gardener" to merely free the surfaces 

 of the beds from all sorts of weeds, and stir the 

 mould up to the depth of about three inches 

 with a fork, in order that they may not only 

 derive the fullest advantage from such manures 

 as may be applied, but be more completely acted 

 upon by the atmosphere, as little danger is sup- 

 posed to be apprehended from the effects of frost 

 on the plants. 



Spring- Dressing the Beds. — This operation 

 consists in fork-digging the beds to a moderate 

 depth to loosen the soil, that the buds may 

 freely advance and swell to their full size. The 

 season for performing the work is in March, 

 but not later than 4.he first or second week in 

 April, as many of the buds will then be formed, 

 and in forward seasons begin to advance. The 

 business is mostly performed with a short, flat, 

 three-pronged fork. In the first spring-dressing 

 after planting it is proper only to loosen the sur- 

 face mould with a hoe two or three inches deep, 

 and rake the beds smooth. But the general spring- 

 dressings should be performed by fork -digging 

 all such beds as have been planted more than 

 one year, three or four inches deep, with the 

 Asparagus-fork, being careful to loosen all the 

 earth as deep as the surface of the roots, having 

 regard, however, not to wound or disturb the 

 crowns of them. After this has been done, the 

 beds should be neatly raked to break the clods, 

 clear oft' stones, and form a level smooth sur- 

 face, drawing off all rough earthy or other 

 matters into the alleys, which should afterwards 

 be raked up in a neat order. 



It is the custom of the author of the " Sco tc 

 Forcing Gardener," when the beds have been 

 covered with manure in a littery state in the 

 autumn, to remove the coarser parts of it in the 

 spring, pointing in the more reduced parts, and 

 at the same time applying a little fine mould 

 over the rows, being careful not to injure the 

 plants in the operation. 



Gathering the Produce. — After the Asparagus 

 plants have attained their perfect growth, the 

 buds from all the plants may be cut over regu- 

 larly during the season. The proper size of 

 them for use is when they are two or three inches 

 above the surface of the earth, while the heads 

 remain compact and plump- The principal season 

 for cutting is from the latter end of April or 

 beginning of May, according to the earlinessof 

 the season, until the middle or latter part of 

 June. 



Raising Asparagus ly Forcing. — Besides th 



