80 ASPARAGINOUS PLANTS. 



eighths of an inch long, and cooked and served as green 

 pease." The sprouts are also excellent when made into 

 soup. 



It is one of the most productive, economical, and health- 

 ful of all garden vegetables. 



Varieties. " The names of numerous varieties occur in 

 the catalogues of seedsmen ; but there seems to be little per- 

 manency of character in the plants. What are called the 

 Red-topped and Green-topped may perhaps be somewhat dis- 

 tinct, and considered as varieties." Glenny. 



Soil and location have, unquestionably, much influence, 

 both as respects the quality and size of the sprouts. A bed 

 of Asparagus in one locality produced shoots seldom reach- 

 ing a diameter of half an inch, and of a very tough and 

 fibrous character ; while a bed in another situation, formed 

 of plants taken from the same nursery-bed, actually produced 

 sprouts so large and fine as to obtain the prize of the Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society. 



If any variety really exists peculiar in size, form, color, 

 or quality, it cannot be propagated by seed. Large sprouts 

 may afford seeds, which, as a general rule, will produce finer 

 Asparagus than seeds from smaller plants ; but a variety, 

 when it occurs, can be propagated only by a division of the 

 roots. 



Mr. Thompson states, that on one part of Mr. Grayson's 

 extensive plantation, on the south side of the Thames, near 

 London, the so-called Grayson's Giant was produced ; and 

 in another section, the common sort : but, when both were 

 made to change places, the common acquired the dimensions 

 of the Giant, whilst the latter diminished to the ordinary 

 size. 



Seeds of the following named and described sorts may be 

 obtained of seedsmen, and will undoubtedly, in nearly all 

 cases, afford fine Asparagus ; but they will not produce 

 plants which will uniformly possess the character of the 

 parent variety : 



