44 Southern Oardener\s Practical Manual 



horse plow, fill these half full of well -rotted manure or 

 compost. Apply with this, acid phosphate at the rate 

 of 500 pounds per acre, kainit at the same rate, and 

 dried blood, or No. 1 tankage, at the rate of 400 pounds 

 per acre. Mix these by running several times in the 

 row a long, narrow bull-tongue plow, leaving the center 

 slightly higher than the sides of the furrow. Set the 

 crowns of roots of the young plants on this elevation 

 two feet apart, spreading the roots in their natural form. 

 Cover the crowns with four to six inches of mellow 

 loam. Gradually fill the furrow to the surface level. 

 Well- grown plants of one season's growth are preferred 

 to those of greater age. 



A better plan is to prepare the trenches as directed, 

 and, instead of transplanting the young crowns, sow the 

 seed very thinly in the furrow and thin to two feet in 

 the drill. As the young plants grow, draw soil to them 

 until the trench is filled. Fully one year will be gained 

 in this way over growing the plants in the nurserj^ row 

 and transplanting the crowns. 



The old method of planting in beds is no longer 

 practiced, since superior shoots may be more conve- 

 niently and cheaply grown in rows. 



If grown for market, there are several advantages in 

 cutting six or eight inches under ground. First, the 

 crowns are earlier relieved of the tax of supporting the 

 shoots; second, since the shoots diminish in size 

 rapidly above ground, the grower harvests a much lar- 

 ger yield per acre; third, the white stalks make a more 

 attractive package, and, being covered with hard woody 

 tissue, the white shoots bear transportation better. Some 



