[()2 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [March. 



eligible to he furnished with an asparagus knife, having a straight, 

 narrow, tapering blade, about six or eight inches long, and about an 

 inch broad at the haft, narrowing to about half an inch at the point, 

 which should be rounded off from the back: observing, when the 

 shoots arc from about two to three or four inches high, they should 

 be then cut, slipping the knife down perpendicularly, close to each 

 shoot, and cut it oft' slantingly about three or four inches within the 

 ground, taking care not to wound any young buds coming up from 

 the same root, for there arc always several shoots advancing there- 

 from in different stages of growth. 



Planting Asparagus. 



New plantations of asparagus may now be made, this being the 

 proper season to remove these plants; it may be done any time in 

 this month, when the weather is mild. 



In making plantations of these plants, one great article to be 

 considered, is to make choice of a proper soil; choose the best the 

 garden affords; it must not be wet nor too strong or stubborn, but 

 such as is moderately light and pliable, so as it will readily fall to 

 pieces in digging or raking, &c. and in a situation that enjoys the 

 full sun. 



The ground where you intend to make new asparagus beds, 

 should have a large supply of rotten or other good dung laid thereon 

 several inches thick, and then regularly trenched two spades deep, 

 and the dung buried equally in each trench, twelve or fifteen inches 

 below the surface. 



When this trenching is done, lay on two or three inches of very 

 short well-rotted manure all over the surface, and dig the ground 

 over again eight or ten inches deep, mixing this top dressing, and 

 incorporating it well with the earth. 



The ground being thus prepared and laid level, divide it into 

 beds four feet and a half wide, with alleys two feet wide between 

 each bed. 



At each corner of every bed, let a firm stake be driven into the 

 ground, to serve as a mark for the alleys. 



Four rows of asparagus are to be planted in each bed, and ten or 

 twelve inches distance to be allowed between plant and plant in the 

 row, and let the outside rows of each bed be eight inches from the 

 edge. 



Next, let it be observed that the plants for this plantation must 

 not be more than two years old; but most good gardeners prefer 

 those that are only one, which are what I would recommend and 

 choose to plant, as from experience I have found they generally, 

 take root much freer, and succeed every way better than the former. 



The following is the method of planting them: 



Strain your line along the bed eight inches from the edge, then 

 with a spade cut out a small trench or drill close to the line, about 

 six inches deep, making that side next the line nearly upright, and 

 when one trench is opened, plant that before you open another, 

 placing the plants upright ten or twelve inches distant in the row. 



