272 MORE POT-POURRI 



But all these plants cost money, as they make no effect 

 except in large clumps ; and, to do well, I fear they want 

 stiff moist soils. 



Those who live near the coast may be interested to 

 hear of an experiment which I saw being tried for growing 

 Asparagus in a wild state on the sandy shore of Suffolk. 

 The gardener wrote me the following description of what 

 he had done : 



1 In the spring of 1896 some yearling Asparagus plants 

 were planted on the lower portions of some raised banks 

 close to the sea. There was no attempt at preparing the 

 ground; it was not even properly cleared of weeds, or 

 sufficient care exercised to plant the plants far enough 

 apart to give them growing-room. But the result far 

 exceeds what might have been expected from such rough- 

 and-ready treatment, for one can almost say they have 

 grown wild. As regards the soil of which these banks 

 are composed, the only remark one can make is that it 

 is of a very questionable character, although of three 

 classes : No. 1, pure fine drift-sand ; No. 2, drift-sand 

 crag and river-mud mixed ; No. 3, river-mud. The plants 

 in No. 2 mixture have given the best produce, No. 3 river- 

 mud being very close ; whilst the produce of No. 1, from 

 the fine drift-sand, is very poor. There has been no 

 attempt to give cultural aids in the way of manure up to 

 the present. In summing up the result of the above 

 experiment it is quite evident that our home-grown 

 Asparagus supplies might very easily be largely increased, 

 and it is to be hoped the idea may be taken up as a means 

 of profit by working men who are holders of land by the 

 sea. 



' It will be necessary, if success in the production of the 

 first-class article is to be arrived at, to observe clearly at 

 the onset three things of the utmost importance. First, 

 thoroughly clean the land to be planted with Asparagus 



