170 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



plants have turned yellow in the fall, cut them down close 

 to the ground, but be careful not to do this early, or they 

 will throw up new shoots and be much weakened. Re- 

 move the stalks and all weeds, cover the beds with three 

 or four inches of good stable manure, and let it remain 

 until time for the spring dressing. If you have charcoal 

 dust at command, a layer of an inch thick over the manure 

 will be found quite useful in preventing the loss of ammo- 

 nia. When the weather grows warm and spring has 

 fairly opened, and the ground is sufficiently dry, before 

 growth commences, with an asparagus fork dig in the ma- 

 nure placed on the beds hi the fall, and loosen the earth 

 four inches deep, taking care not to wound the crowns of 

 the plants. Give the beds a top-dressing of salt, 2 Ibs. to 

 the square yard, before growth commences, and water 

 freely in dry weather. Applications of liquid manure are 

 likewise very salutary. A good liquid manure for aspara- 

 gus is an ounce of guano and four ounces of salt to two 

 gallons of water. Guano or night soil composted with 

 charcoal, so as to be entirely inodorous, is also beneficially 

 applied at any time. Another slight covering of charcoal 

 dust, after the spring dressing, will be of service, and 

 make the shoots earlier. Until the bed is two years old, 

 the alleys should be also deeply dug and well manured, 

 as the plants will derive much nourishment from them. 

 After that period the roots will extend so widely that they 

 cannot be worked without injury. 



"When the bed is one year old, it may, if it has been 

 well treated, be sparingly gathered from. The plants will 

 not be injured if the shoots are of good size and but few 

 are taken. They will yield a full crop when two years 

 transplanted. Asparagus should be cut before the heads 

 lose their compact form, when only four or five inches 

 above the ground. Remove the earth to the bottom of 

 the stalk, and cut it ^ff sloping with a pointed knife, tak- 

 ing care not to wound any other shoots that may be near 



