268 GAEDEXIIS'G FOE THE SOUTH. 



uent beds for asparagus are prepared by cutting trenches 

 with a plow. In Held culture many growers make these 

 trenches thirty iuches apart, to permit cultivation with 

 horse. The plow is run over the trenches two or three 

 times, so thai a depth of teu or twelve iuches is secured. 

 Well-rotted manure is now placed iu aud incorporated 

 with the soil by means of a fork. Set the plants in the 

 trenches thus prepared twelve to fifteen inches apart, 

 taking care to spread out the roots, and cover with four 

 or five inches of soil. If healthy plants have been drawn 

 from the seed-bed and good manuring given the trenches, 

 cutting the asparagus may be begun the second year. 

 The cutting must never be continued late in the season, 

 but sufficient shoots must be left to develop leaves, or 

 otherwise the roots will soon become exhausted and the 

 plants will die. After the cutting has ceased the rows 

 must be manured or fertilized by opening with the plow 

 near the plants, placing the fertilizer in and running the 

 plow over again to thoroughly mix the ingredients with 

 the soil. Ground bone is suitable for this purpose. 



All weeds must be removed as they appear. As salt is 

 an excellent manure for this plant, the weeds may be 

 easily kept down by its application.* Old brine or refuse 

 salt, in which meat or fish has been packed, is better than 

 any other, as it abounds in the blood and juices of the 

 meat, which are a most valuable fertilizer. Asparagus 

 is a sea-shore plant, and salt will not hurt it, but is life 

 and nourishment to it. 



Old beds have been covered an inch deep, and the 

 plants continued to thrive; but a sprinkling just sufficient 

 to make the soil look white is enough. As soon as the 

 plnnts have turned yellow in the fall, cut them down close 

 to the ground, but be careful not to do this earlv, or thev 



* It is but proper to say that the advantage of salt for asparagus is 

 now questioned by some gardeners. — P. H. M. 



