34 ASPARAGUS 



tween the rows of asparagus the first year of its 

 growth with but little injury to it." 



GOOD CROPS TWO YEARS FROM SEED 



In answer to the many inquiries as to how asparagus 

 can be grown to weigh two and three-fourths pounds 

 per bunch of twentj'-six stalks from plants two j-ears 

 old from seed, as exhibited at a recent American Insti- 

 tute spring exhibition, George M. Hay, of Connecticut, 

 writes in Americaji Gardaiing as follows: 



' ' Select a piece of ground where the soil is light, 

 but of a good depth, and plow thoroughly. About the 

 ist of May mark off the rows three or four feet apart 

 — for myself I prefer the latter distance as giving 

 plent}' of room for cultivation. Run a two-horse plow 

 over the same furrow two or three times and j-ou will 

 have a depth of from fourteen to eighteen inches. 



' ' Trenches having been all made, we come to the 

 most important part — namely, manuring. In order to 

 give the ^-oung plants a good start after germination 

 we have to use liberal quantities of well-rotted stable 

 manure, and in this the young plants make roots that 

 in a short time are surprising. I use a one-horse load 

 of manure to ever>^ seventj'-five feet of drill, tramping 

 it well down, and with a rake draw from each side of 

 the trench soil to cover the manure to a depth of from 

 two to three inches. The surface is raked level, and 

 with the end of a rake or hoe a furrow one inch 

 deep is drawn. 



"We are now read}' for the seed, which should 

 have been soaked in tepid water for at least twentj^- 

 four hours. This w'ill insure the immediate starting 



