76 CnJiwe of Asparagus. 



them into a close house for about seven days, until they have 

 made young roots ; not allowing the sun to shine upon them, 

 and syringing them twice a day. Our chrysanthemums, this 

 season, are very fine ; the plants that stand in front of our 

 conservatory had scarcely lost a leaf on the 5th of December, 

 and about forty of them had not opened all their flowers. 

 Durham Park Gardens, Dec. 1836. 



Art. XIIL On the Culture of Asparagus. By A. Forsyth. 



There is, perhaps, no article in the culture of which more 

 unnecessary forms are gone through than with this. We see 

 the plant (a native of Britain) covered with 6 in., or perhaps 1 ft., 

 of soil or litter, in winter, to keep the frost from it, or to mulch 

 it when it is in a dormant state ; though we may as well mulch 

 a layer of seed potatoes at Michaelmas, to benefit their buds for 

 the succeeding summer. 



But to come to the point, and that is, to cultivate asparagus 

 to the highest state of perfection at the lowest charges. Let a 

 heap of manure, equal to a layer of 9 in. deep all over the 

 ground intended for asparagus, be prepared of the following 

 materials : — One third good loamy turf, or turf of sandy peat; 

 and two thirds of the best dung from the stables and cattle layers; 

 with about two bushels of drill bones to every pole of ground. 

 The turf ought to be pared off, and piled up, a year previous to 

 its being wanted ; and the dung properly mixed and fermented 

 at least six weeks before. The bone manure may be spread 

 over the rest before they are trenched into the quarter. In the 

 process of trenching, let the manure be equally incorporated 

 with every part. In planting, let one-year-old plants be inserted 

 1 in. below the level of the surface, in lines alternately 9 in. and 

 3 ft. apart, in the same way as peas are generally planted. If 

 the plot be extensive, paths, 3g ft. wide, may be run across the 

 rows, at the distance of 16 ft. apart, to prevent wheeling, and, as 

 much as possible, walking, between the lines. The plants may 

 be from 4" in. to 6 in. apart in the row, bedded and covered with 

 leaf-soil, or dung reduced to a soil; and, as mulching with half- 

 rotten dung, and extensive waterings in dry weather, are the 

 principal features of culture, it is indispensably necessary that 

 the ground be effectually drained, summer drought and winter 

 saturation being the grand evils to be guarded against. From 

 the latter end of May till Michaelmas is the time that asparagus 

 is generally left without any culture, except routine weeding, &c. 

 Now, this is almost the only season that any culture can be of 

 much service to the plant; for it is evident, that, if we encourage 

 the plants whilst they are in a state of active developement, that 



