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outline distinctly marked out. Care must be had 

 never to tread on the beds — they are formed narrow 

 to render it mmecessary — for everything tending to 

 consolidate them is injurious, as, from the length of 

 time they have to continue, without a possibility of 

 stirring them to any considerable depth, they have a 

 natural tendency to have a closer texture than is bene- 

 ficial to vegetation. Water must be given in dry 

 weather daily until the plants are established. 



Another and most excellent plan, adopted by Mr. 

 Errington, is as follows : — 



In planting, the beds are to be set out for two rows 

 each, the rows two feet apart, with an alley of four 

 feet between them. The line being stretched precisely 

 where the Asparagus is to be, make a slanting cut 

 sloping from the line, about nine inches deep, and the 

 soil thrown out as in forming an edge for box ; the 

 same cut is to be made on the opposite side of the 

 line, leaving a sharp and angular ridge, across which 

 the plants are set astride ; the operator taking half 

 the roots in the one hand and half in the other, di- 

 vides them across the ridge, at the distance of ten 

 inches between plant and plant. Previous to plant- 

 ing, however, some fine highly decomposed vegetable 

 matter is to be placed up the line, in contact with the 

 I'oots, and pressed firm ; the roots are slightly tipped, 

 and dipped in a puddle of thick dung water. The 

 jjlants should be at least two years old, for it is a 



