CULTURE IN DIFFERENT LOCALITIES 1 55 



porary growers can not jump in and out of, for the 

 crop requires special preparation of the soil and patient 

 waiting and culture pending the time for reaping a 

 harvest, and the men who are always read}- to jump 

 into the annual crops always wish to realize at once, 

 and do not generally have the capital to put into a 

 crop that requires several 3^ears before realizing. 

 Hence the asparagus crop has been left to the regular 

 market gardeners, and has been uniformly profitable 

 when well managed. 



As regards soil for asparagus in the South, it should 

 be deep, light, warm, and well drained, either natu- 

 rally or artificially. The level sandy soils that abound 

 in all the South Atlantic Coast region, having a com- 

 pa(ft subsoil of reddish clay under it at a moderate 

 depth, makes the ideal soil for the earl}^ asparagus. 



In preparing such a soil for the crop, it is well to 

 be thorough in the matter, for the crop is to remain 

 there' indefinitely, and if success is to be expecled the 

 previous preparation should be of the most thorough 

 charadler. Hence, as the soils best adapted to the 

 growth of the plant are commonly deficient in vegeta- 

 ble matter, which desirable charadleristic can only 

 be found in abundance on the lands too low and 

 moist for the asparagus crop, some preparatory culture 

 should be used that will tend to increase the amount of 

 organic decay in the soil. 



For this purpose there is nothing better than the 

 Southern field or cow pea. The land should be pre- 

 pared by giving it a heavy dressing of acid phosphate 

 and potash, and putting it in peas sown broadcast at the 

 rate of a bushel or more per acre. With a heavy dressing 



