No. 13. 



Jspnrngns. 



211 



rich compost, before they are set out. 



I have in most cases recommended seeds 

 to be sown in drills drawn from 8 to 12 in- 

 ches apart, in preference to sowing broad- 

 cast, because the weeds can be more easily 

 destroyed by means of a small hoe; and which, 

 properly used, greatly promotes the growth of 

 young plants. 



Asparagus. 



Asparagus plants may be raised by sowing 

 the seeds in the fall as soon as ripe, or in 

 March and the early part in April. It re- 

 quires some of the best ground in a garden. 

 The seed may be sown in drills, ten or twelve 

 inches asunder, and covered half an inch with 

 light earth. When the plants are up they 

 will need a careful hoeing, and they should 

 afterwards be kept free from weeds. The 

 seed sown in the fall generally make the 

 strongest plants, and will be fit to transplant 

 into beds when they are a year old. 



A plantation of Asparagus, if the beds are 

 properly dressed every year, will continue to 

 produce good buds tor twenty years, or more. 



New plantations of Asparagus may be 

 made in the months of March and April. 

 The ground for the bed must not be wet, nor 

 too strong or stubborn, but such as is mode- 

 rately light and pliable, so as it will readily 

 fall to pieces in digging or raking, and in a 

 situation that enjoys the full sun. It should 

 have a large supply of good dung, three or 

 four inches thick, and then be regularly 

 trenched two spades deep, and the dung bu- 

 ried equally in each trench, twelve or fifteen 

 inches below the surface. When this trench- 

 ing is done, lay on two or three inches of 

 well rotted manure all over the surface, and 

 dig the ground over again, eight or ten inches 

 deep, mixing this top dressing and incorpo- 

 rating well with the earth. The ground 

 being thus prepared and made level, divided 

 into beds, four feet and a half wide, with al- 

 leys two feet wide between each bed. 



At each corner of every bed let a firm 

 stake be driven in the ground, to serve as a 

 mark for the alleys. Four rows of Asparagus 

 are to be planted in each bed, and ten or twelve 

 inches distance to be allowed between plant 

 and plant in the row; and let the outside 

 rows of each bed be eight inches from the 

 edge. 



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 inches 

 m the row. 



The plants must not be placed flat in the 



bottom of the trench, but nearly upright 

 against the back of it, and so that the crown 

 of the plants may also stand upright, and two 

 or three inches below the surface of the 

 ground, spreading their roots somewhat regu- 

 Farly against the back of the trench, and at 

 the same time drawing a little earth up against 

 tliem with the hand as you place them, just to 

 fix the plants in their due position until the 

 row is planted ; when one row is thus placed 

 with a rake draw the earth into the trench, 

 over the plants, and then proceed to open 

 another drill or trench, as before directed ; 

 and fill and cover it in the same manner, and 

 so on till the whole is planted ; then let the 

 surface of the beds be raked smooth and 

 cleared from stones. 



Some make new plantations with the 

 seeds at once; this may be done by preparing 

 the ground as before directed, and planting a 

 few grains of seed in each place allotted for 

 a plant; they should be afterwards thinned, 

 leaving the strongest plants to stand at the 

 same distances every way as before. 



A plantation of Asparagus, thus raised, will 

 produce buds fit to cut the third spring after 

 sowing, but will be very large and fine the 

 fourth year. 



WINTER DRESSING OF ASPARAGUS BEDS. 



About the beginning of November, if the 

 stalks of your Asparagus turn yellow, which 

 is a sign of their having finished their growth 

 for the season, cut them down close to the 

 earth, carry them off the ground, and clear 

 the beds carefully from weeds. 



Asparagus beds must have an annual dress- 

 ing of good manure ; let it be laid equally 

 over the beds, two or three inches thick, after 

 which, stretch a line, and with a spade mark 

 out the alleys from eighteen inches to two 

 feet wide, agreeably to their original dimen- 

 sions. 



Then dig the alleys one spade deep, and 

 spread a considerable quantity of the earth 

 evenly over the beds; observe to make the 

 edges of the beds straight, full, and neat, and 

 tolfinish your work in a becoming manner, 

 giving a moderate rounding to the beds, es- 

 pecially if the ground be inclined to weL 



The alleys should be afterwards filled up 

 with leaves, or litter well trampled down, 

 would in some measure prevent the frost from 

 entering that way to the Asparagus roots. 

 The Seedling Asparagus should also have a 

 slight dressing; that is, to clear the beds from 

 weeds, and then to spread an inch or two in 

 depth of dry rotten dung over it, to defend 

 the crown of the plants from frost. 



SPRING DRESSING OF THE BED.S. 



This work should be done from about the 

 latter end of March, to the middle of April. 

 For the purpose of digging or forking these 

 beds, you should be provided with a proper 



