ASPARAGUS. - 21 



in catalogues, but there is a great similarity among them, and 

 we will class them into two only, the Green-top and the Purple- 

 top. The former is round in the top and of a bright green co- 

 lor. The latter of a purple reddish-green color, very close 

 headed, and is the sort generally cultivated. There is another 

 supposed variety called the Giant^ which is greatly extolled by 

 Seedsmen on account of its size, but I believe the principal se- 

 cret lies in the quality of the soil and the superiority of cul- 

 ture. Sow the seed early in Spring, (about a pound will be suffi- 

 cient for a family), thinly, in drills, one and a-half to two inches 

 deep, and eighteen inches from row to row — in good, rich, sandy, 

 loamy soil, well manured and prepared. Strong one-year old 

 plants are much better for transplanting than those of even three 

 years' old, when the growth has been indifferent. Rake the 

 ground even, and keep it free from weeds by frequent hoeing. 

 About the first of the following November, some stable litter 

 should be spread over the ground, to keep the young roots 

 from frost. 



Culture. — The best ground for Asparagus is a light, sandy 

 loam, at least two feet deep. Before planting it should be dug 

 very deep or trenched in the way we have recommended, burying 

 in plenty of manure, as no more can be supplied after the beds 

 are planted (unless by surface dressings). The ground can 

 scarcely be too rich, for the sweetness and tenderness of the 

 shoots depend on the rapidity of the growth, which is greatly 

 promoted by the richness of the soil. A plot of ground twenty 

 feet wide and from forty to fifty feet long will be suitable for a 

 moderate-sized family. Over it sow from fifty to one hundred 

 pounds of salt, incorporating it with the soil to the depth of four 

 or five inches. The ground having been well prepared and pro- 

 perly leveled, divide it off into beds four feet wide, with alleys of 

 two feet between them. The work should all be done in fine wea- 

 ther, about the end of March. Drive in a strong stake ax each 

 corner, take up the plants carefully from the seed-rows with a 

 fork, and expose them to the air as little as possible, keeping 



