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system intermediate these two is by far the most de- 

 sirable. It is as follows : — 



After cutting about twice in the spring, leave one 

 stout shoot to each stool, with the intention of pro- 

 moting the fibrous action of the root. As for the 

 rest, cut all that are of any size until about the end 

 of May, when cease cutting a bed or beds of the 

 prime, which now suffer to grow for the earhest pro- 

 duce in the following spring, continuing to cut from 

 the rest until about the end of June. {Gard, Chron. 

 1844, 668.) 



The reasons for this and other judicious treatment 

 of the Asparagus at the same season have been so 

 ably enforced by Dr. Lindley and Mr. Beaton, and 

 the practices are so important for the successful culti- 

 vation of this vegetable, that we shall give their ob- 

 servations fully, without any fear of sacrificing to them 

 too much space. 



You cannot have fruit, says Dr. Lindley, without 

 leaves ; and the more abundant the leaves are, pro- 

 vided they are all fully exposed to light and air, the 

 larger and more excellent will be a crop of fruit, within 

 certain limits. But if it is thus true of fruit, it is 

 absolutely true of sprouts, such as those which the 

 Asparagus plant produces ; and the reverse of the 

 proposition is equally unexceptionable ; that is to say, 

 the fewer leaves are left upon a plant, the more feeble 

 will be its sprouts. To push the illustration to its 



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