148 ASPARAGUS 



400 pounds ; and fine ground bone, 600 pounds per 

 acre. The shoots will appear about May 5th, and 

 should be cut for about two weeks; then let them grow 

 up and cultivate well during the season. 



Home-mixing of fertilizer is pradliced b}' some of 

 the growers in this vicinity, as it is cheaper and better. 

 Any intelligent farmer can, with a little study, pur- 

 chase and mix the raw materials to advantage. Not 

 so much fertilizer is used as formerly b}- our growers, 

 who are beginning to think that we use more plant 

 food than the crop needs, thus throwing away many 

 dollars each 3'ear. The cost of an acre of asparagus 

 when properly planted and manured is about two hun- 

 dred dollars, varying with the cost of help, manure, etc. 

 The average product of asparagus beds is about two 

 hundred and eighty-eight dozen bunches per acre — 

 probably- less since the rust appeared in 1897. 



Asparagus is grown largely on Cape Cod. There 

 the roots are planted in rows six feet apart and four or 

 five feet in the row. Seaweed is used largely in con- 

 nection with fertilizer and manure. Various grains, 

 oats, r3"e, etc., are sometimes sown to prevent the soil 

 being blown awa}". The method of culture is much 

 the same as elsewhere. 



At Concord the asparagus season opens usually 

 about May 5th. The shoots are cut two or three 

 inches under ground and should be about eight inches 

 in length. These are laid in handfuls on the ground 

 by the cutter, each one cutting two rows. The prod- 

 uct of four rows is laid in one row, making what is 

 called a ' ' basket row. ' ' These ' ' basket rows ' ' are 

 gathered in baskets, boxes, or wheelbarrows, and taken 



