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wide, with one row of plants down the centre, and 

 the plants 1 y feet asunder in the rows, would be pre- 

 ferable. It is a very common error to allow too 

 many stalks to grow close to each other. If this be 

 permitted, however good the soil, the Asparagus is 

 sure to be small ; as the stalks, when so close, draw 

 upon each other. Weak and small stems produce 

 invariably weak Asparagus ; for it is at the bottom of 

 these that the Asparagus springs. {Gard. Mag. 

 1837, 358.) 



Mr. W. Dickson, of Redbraes, near Edinburgh, 

 recommends the rows to be three feet and a half 

 apart, and the plants nine inches from each other ; 

 observing, that the produce will be much stronger 

 than that from plants crowded together in beds ; and 

 he reckons that two rows, planted as described, will 

 produce more than three rows planted in beds in the 

 usual way. {Trans, Hort. Soc. vi.) 



Time for planting . — It is usually recommended to 

 plant in March, but recent experience demonstrates 

 that April, May, and even June, are preferable 

 months. Some orchises, and other fleshy rooted 

 plants, can only be moved successfully whilst vegeta- 

 tion is active. This is the case, too, with Asparagus. 

 Every one must have suifered from failures in March 

 planting, but if the planting be in May, these very 

 rarely occur. Mr. G. Fleming, the highly skilful 

 gardener at Trentham Hall, observes that — It may 



