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ing, the. roots being apt to entangle, and 

 cause much trouble and injury in parting 

 them. They should be exposed as short 

 a time as possible to the air; and, to this 

 end, it is advisable to keep them, until 

 planted, in a basket covered with a little 

 sand. The mode of planting is to form 

 drills, or narrow trenches, five or six 

 inches deep, and one foot apart, cut out 

 with the spade, the line-side of each drill 

 being made perpendicular; and against 

 this the plants are to be placed, with 

 their crowns one and a half or two inches 

 below the surface, and twelve inches 

 asunder. The roots must be spread out 

 wide, in the form of a fan, a little earth 

 being drawn over each, to retain it in its 

 position whilst the row is proceeded 

 with. For the sake of convenience, one 

 drill should be made at a time, and the 

 plants inserted and covered completely 

 before another is commenced. When 

 the planting is completed, the bed is to 

 be lightly raked over, and its outline 

 distinctly marked out. Care must be 

 had never to tread on the beds (they are 

 formed narrow to render it unnecessary) ; 

 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 con- 

 siderable depth, they have a closer tex- 

 ture than is beneficial to vegetation. 

 Water must be given, in dry weather, 

 daily, until the plants are established. 

 The paths between the beds are to be 

 three feet wide. The first season after 

 planting the beds, a crop of radishes may 

 be sown upon them without very much 

 injury to the young plants, if the radishes 

 are all drawn off. early. It too often 

 happens that new asparagus -beds are 

 ruined by being pestered with other 

 crops ; but a row, or even two rows, of 

 either lettuces or spinach, may be sown 

 in the alleys. 



Subsequent Cultivation. Throughout 

 the year care must be taken to keep the 

 beds clear of weeds ; and, in May and 

 summer, apply liquid-manure twice a 

 week plentifully, giving a sprinkling of 

 salt once a month. In the latter end of 

 October, or commencement of November, 

 the beds are to have the winter dressing. 

 The stalks must be cut down and cleared 

 away; the beds cleaned, if weedy, and 

 carefully forked up. A thoroughly good 

 dressing of manure is put all over the 

 beds equally, and the alleys forked over 



too ; whilst, for the sake of giving the 

 whole a finish, a line is put down each 

 side of the alley, the edges made up a 

 little, and a few crumbs from the alleys 

 thrown upon the beds, and the edges 

 marked out with the point of the spade. 

 The work is then done for the winter. 



Spring Dressing. In the month of 

 March the beds are again forked over 

 carefully, the manure and soil well 

 broken up and mixed together, and some 

 of the rougher parts of manure, with all 

 the rakings, forked into the alleys ; after 

 which the beds are raked over, and let- 

 tuces are there sown or planted in suc- 

 cession for the summer months. 



Production. In the May of the second 

 year after planting, if tbey are very 

 highly cultivated with liquid -manure, 

 cutting may commence ; but, under or- 

 dinary culture, cutting had better not 

 begin until the third year. We recom- 

 mend the heads to be allowed to grow 

 about six inches above the ground before 

 they are cut, and then to be cut level 

 with the surface. By this mode, first sug- 

 gested by Mr. Weaver, the whole shoot 

 is eatable, all risk of injuring other 

 rising shoots is avoided, and the flavour 

 is much superior to that cut when only 

 just rising above the surface. Cutting 

 should cease at the end of June, or very 

 early in July. 



Forcing may be commenced at the end 

 of November. For this purpose, take up 

 the plants from an old bed, or others 

 raised purposely, when they are three or 

 four years old. Carefully commence on 

 one side one of the outer rows of the bed, 

 by digging out a trench, forking the earth 

 as much as possible from underneath the 

 plants, so that they may easily, and with- 

 out straining or injuring their roots, be 

 moved out entirely, by thrusting down 

 the fork behind them. Be very care- 

 ful, at the same time, that the buds 

 about the crowns of the plants are not 

 injured by the fork, or trampled upon, 

 or bruised in any way during their 

 removal. Obtaining handsome, strong 

 shoots depends much upon the care with 

 which the plants are thus handled. As- 

 paragus is very easily forced, and is very 

 productive under the treatment when 

 properly managed. It may be forced in 

 various modes through the winter ; but 

 those who have the command of hot 

 water, to give it a moderate bottom-heat, 

 will find this give the least trouble. It 



