

CHAPTER XIII. 



asparagus (Asparagus officinalis.) 



Native of Europe. — Perennial. — The asparagus is an 

 herbaceous plant, growing to the height of about four feet. 

 The flowers are small and generally yellow. They are perfect, 



but in many plants 

 the pistils are abort- 

 ive, so that only 

 about half of the 

 plants produce seed. 

 The seed is produced 

 in spherical berries, 

 that are vermillion 

 in color when they 

 ripen in the autumn; 

 they are black and 

 triangular, number- 

 ing about 1400 to the 

 ounce. Asparagus is 

 one of the most valu- 

 able garden vegeta- 

 bles. It is perfectly 

 hardv and never 



Figure 43.— Asparagus plant full grown. 



fails to produce a crop. It is one of the first vegetables to be 

 obtained in the spring and may be used until the middle of 

 June. Perhaps, no other vegetable is more highly esteemed 

 by those who are accustomed to its use. It may be grown 

 with success in any good corn land, but is worthy of the best 

 of care, as it responds readily to rich manure and high culti- 

 vation. On sandy loam the crop is much earlier than on clay 

 soils; wet land is not suited to it. 



Propagation. — It grows readily from seed, and one ounce of 

 seed is sufficient for about fifty feet of drill and should pro- 

 duce with good care about four hundred plants, though no 



