THE RAISING OF PLANTS 35 



of the seed when the soil is moist and has not had a 

 chance to dry out. If unsoaked seed is used and we 

 have a dry spell for two or three weeks, the seed will be 

 almost useless by the time it receives moisture enough 

 to start. 



' ' When the asparagus is two or three inches high 

 thin out to one foot apart, being very careful not to 

 disturb the plants left. A piece of a stick cut to the 

 shape of a table-knife is an ideal tool for thinning out 

 the 3'oung plants. It will be necessary to weed the 

 rows by hand, while the plants are very small, for a 

 distance of six inches on each side, as the cultivator, 

 if run too close, will cover up the j'oung plants. Keep 

 the horse cultivator at work as often as possible to 

 maintain moisture for the young roots. 



' ' By fall 5'ou will be surprised to learn how far the 

 young roots have traveled and the crowns prepared for 

 next year's crop. Cover the rows with stable manure 

 for the winter, and in spring give a dressing of one 

 pound of nitrate of soda to one hundred feet of drill, 

 and you will be well repaid for the extra labor and 

 outlay by being able to cut asparagus of extra size in 

 tv^o years from the time of sowing the seed, doing 

 away with the transplanting of two-year-old roots, 

 and then waiting two more years before the first crop 

 can be cut." 



The principal objecflion which has been made against 

 this system of not transplanting is that it does not 

 admit of a careful choice of plants, as the plants must 

 be kept in the places where sown, while in the trans- 

 planting method we need use only the choicest plants; 

 then, if two or three seeds come up close together^ L*" 



