28 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



hoeings and thinning the stems produced by each set to two 

 or three at the most. In May the tubers will be ripe, and 

 may be dug and pitted as potatoes, or they may be left in 

 the ground and used as required. They must not however 

 remain longer in the soil than the beginning of the following 

 September. 



Asparagus. Plant in August or the beginning of 

 September. The conditions of the successful culture of 

 asparagus are : First, deep dry soil, trenched at least two 

 feet deep incorporating an abundance of manure ; second, 

 leaving, off cutting by the middle or end of November ; 

 third, not cutting down the seed stems till they are quite ripe. 

 Planting in rows on the flat is now generally adopted instead 

 of in beds. Plant in rows at least two feet apart (we would 

 prefer three feet) and two feet plant from plant, with three- 

 year-old plants, one or two-year-old plants will answer equally 

 well, but they will not come into bearing so soon. The 

 following is recommended as being the best method of plant- 

 ing : After the bed has been finally prepared by being 

 forked over and raked, mark out the rows two feet apart, 

 placing a stake at each end, stretching a line tightly between, 

 draw a drill four or six inches deep on each side of the line, 

 leaving a ridge, over which the plants should be placed, 

 regulating the long roots evenly on each side and closing in 

 the earth as the work proceeds, pressing it firmly at the same 

 time with the back of the rake, or with the foot ; or a deep 

 trench may be opened and the plants inserted, taking care 

 to spread out the roots like a fan against the cut, the 

 crown of the plant being kept two or three inches below 

 the surface, this latter plan is the most expeditious. The 

 young plants should be lifted from the seed rows with 

 care, injuring the fibrous roots as little as possible. Beds 

 formed of three-year-old plants will afford a slight cutting, 

 the second year after planting ; from the fourth year 

 out they will be in full bearing, and will last for many 

 years if properly attended to. In the matter of not cutting 

 too closely, be particular to remove all seedling plants 

 as they appear in Spring, otherwise they will soon spoil the 

 bed. Winter dressing. In May, or as soon as the stalks are 

 yellow, they may be cut close to the ground and removed, 



