ASPARAGUS 117 



crop needs very rich soil. In this trench plant one or two rows of 

 two-year-old roots with thick, strong crowns. Leave the plants 

 twelve to eighteen inches apart in the row, with the same distance 

 between the rows. Plant the roots deep enough so the crowns will 

 be covered two or three inches. This should be done in very early 

 spring or in late fall. During the winter the rows should be covered 

 with several inches of barnyard manure. The shoots will come up 

 through this each spring and after the first year or two from plant- 

 ing time may be cut for table use. 



Another plan is to plant a single row in a deep furrow and cover 

 by throwing the soil back over the plants. The rows in commer- 

 cial planting may be 4 feet apart. The depth of soil over the 

 crowns of the plants may be greatly increased if the soil is some- 

 what sandy. The space between rows is given thorough culti- 

 vation throughout the growing season, and the plants are forced to 

 make all growth possible from spring to fall. As the season closes 

 the tops are mowed and raked off. The ground is all plowed 

 with a turning plow, and heavy applications of manure are made 

 along the rows. 



Cutting the crop is to be done carefully. Injury to the crowns 

 by careless use of asparagus knives is far too common. As the 

 shoots come through the soil and manure over the rows the knife is 

 thrust at an angle through the soil to cut the shoot at its base, or 

 just above the other buds. This must be done without cutting 

 other shoots which are to appear later. 



There are two forms of product from this crop. The most popu- 

 lar is the white asparagus produced in the manner already des- 

 cribed. The shoots in this case have not been exposed to the sun- 

 light and have not turned green. The other form of product 

 sometimes desired by growers is the so-called "green asparagus." 

 In this case the buds are near the top of the ground and the 

 shoots are allowed to grow to some height before they are cut. 

 This gives a much stronger flavor to the product and is usually 

 not preferred by the consumer. 



The annual management consists in cutting for a period of four 

 to six weeks in the spring, depending upon the strength of the 

 plants. Then the crop is allowed to grow vigorously throughout 

 the remainder of the season. Cultivation is given to encourage 

 this growth and to keep out weeds. In home gardens it is well to 

 cut out any stems which are about to bear seeds unless a seed crop 

 is desired. The flowers are dioecious, that is, the staminate flowers 



