152 ASPARAGUS 



surface is at all times loose and fine to prevent evapo- 

 ration, the average j-ield is 2,500 bunches per acre. If 

 we estimate the tips at 25 per cent, of the crop, the 

 gross receipts will amount to $200 per acre. 



After a given acreage is ready for cutting, which 

 is the third year after planting, the annual cost of cul- 

 tivation is not ver}^ much, if an}', more than that of a 

 crop of potatoes. It is a question whether the actual 

 cost of growing and marketing an acre of asparagus is 

 not less than that of an acre of potatoes. Some growers 

 assert it is three times as much work to take care of a 

 given acreage of asparagus as of potatoes; admitting 

 it, the relative cost is stated above. 



C. L. Allex. 



JVassau County, N. Y. 



ASPARAGUS IX NEW JERSEY 



An important point in asparagus culture is to 

 remove the top growth in the fall of the 5'ear. For 

 this purpose I use a mowing-machine, then rake up 

 the brush and burn it on the bed. After this I top- 

 dress heavy with manure, leaving it lie on the land 

 until spring. 



Just as^oon as the ground is fit to work at all I put 

 on a disk-harrow, and cut it about four times each way 

 until it is thoroughly pulverized. Then with a smooth- 

 ing-harrow I level it, and repeat the smoothing-harrow 

 operation about once a week to keep down all weeds 

 coming through. Then we let it go as long as we can, 

 possibly two weeks, and at the appearance of weeds 

 we take an ordinary sweet-potato ridger having a 



