178 FRUIT CULTURE. 



ished. An annual top dressing of composted 

 manure will add an inch or two to the depth 

 each year. The crowns will thus be about half 

 a foot below the surface, and will allow the hoe 

 or a light cultivator to run over and clean the 

 ground early in the spring. As the asparagus is 

 a maritime plant, and delights in a moist soil 

 common salt is recommended as an early spring 

 dressing. A new bed should be cut very spar- 

 ingly the second year after planting, and only 

 moderately the third year. With good care and 

 liberal enriching a bed may be continued indefi- 

 nitely, and prove as rewarding to the family as 

 any plant in cultivation. 



Asparagus is propagated from seed almost 

 exclusively, and consequently we have as many 

 varieties as there are seedlings. But it is true 

 that seed selected from strong plants and of good 

 quality will produce characteristic seedlings. It 

 is important that raisers of the plants should 

 select the best quality of seed. A strain known 

 as Connover's Colossal has been favorably re- 

 ceived for a few years past. Mr. J. B. Moore, 

 of Concord, Massachusetts, has exhibited fine 

 bunches of what he names Moore's Cross-bred. 

 Whether cross-bred or not, the seed was undoubt- 

 edly carefully selected. Mr. Moore has had re- 

 markable success in cultivating asparagus upon 



