78 ASPARAGUS 



from the time of blossoming to the full development of 

 its fruit. The plants need a superabundance of plant 

 food within easy reach, otherwise the fruit is small and 

 inferior. The plant can not bear profitable fruit and 

 at the same time be compelled to struggle for exist- 

 ence. The same is the case with asparagus. Neither 

 of these crops can take up out of the soil all the 

 fertilizer that needs to be applied for their successful 

 growth, and therefore there is necessarily a large 

 quantity of plant food unused and left over in the 

 soil." 



For these reasons, asparagus, while not necessarily 

 an exhaustive crop, requires heavy manuring. One 

 ton of high grade vegetable manure is none too much 

 per acre, and is small, particularly in the expense, as 

 compared with the larger quantities of stable manure 

 per acre, as recommended by some successful growers. 

 As already stated, formerly it was thought necessary 

 to place large quantities of manure in the bottom of 

 the deep trenches in which the young plants were set 

 out, in order that sufficient fertility might be present 

 for several years for the roots, as after the plants were 

 once planted there would be no further opportunity to 

 apply the manure in such an advantageous place. 

 This theory has been found erroneous and the pradlice 

 has been demonstrated to be rather a waste than other- 

 wise, and besides the roots of asparagus thrive better 

 when resting upon a more compadt soil; nor is it 

 necessary that the soil should contain great amounts of 

 humus, or be in an extremely fertile condition when 

 the plants are first put out, since by the system of top- 

 dressing a moderately fertile soil soon becomes exceed- 



