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tial to its existence, namely, the saline constituents of 

 the sea, abundant moisture, and freedom from stag- 

 nant water to the roots. These are necessary for the 

 plant's health, but to these must be superadded 

 abundance of decomposing animal and vegetable re- 

 mains, in order to make its growth gross and eligible 

 for table use. 



"We may remark, that all good cultivation must be 

 founded upon a similar attention to the same two 

 points : whatever the plant's nature requires must be 

 first secured to it, and then what art seeks to effect 

 must be attained by additions to those requirements. 



There have been repeated attempts to cultivate 

 Asparagus, without the aid of the farm-yard manure, 

 but always without that amount of success which is 

 sure to attend a liberal application of the latter. This 

 is not only a question of quality, but one of texture 

 also ; for Asparagus will root with the utmost rapi- 

 dity and freedom in old thatch, or any other loose 

 vegetable remains, providing the due amount of mois- 

 ture is provided. 



Soil. — The best of all soils for Asparagus is a rich 

 sandy loam, mixed with a small quantity of broken 

 oyster-shells. It should be at least three feet deep — 

 if five, so much the better — and resting upon a porous 

 subsoil. If the soil is shallow, it must be trenched 

 to the above depth ; and to secure a perfectly good 

 drainage, the beds should be founded upon a layer of 



