32 



CASSELL'S POPULAE GARDENING. 



keep them in place. Plant other rows to complete 

 the bed, a foot apart. When the bed is planted, 

 place soil from the aUeys over aU to a depth of about 

 three inches, raking the rough particles off, and 

 watering, should the weather continue some time dry. 



Keep the bed scrupulously clean and free from 

 weeds during the summer. So soon as the growth 

 made ripens, cut it down close to the ground, clean 

 the surface, place a layer of well-rotted manure over 

 it, and a^ain cover all with about an inch and a half 

 of soil from the alleys. This latter operation, per- 

 form any time from October to December inclusive. 



About the last week in February it is advan- 

 tageous to just loosen up the surface of the beds 

 with a fork. At this time a slight dressing with 

 salt may be given with advantage. It neutralises 

 injury done to the young blades by insects, and 

 eventually aids the roots materially. By this 

 method beds last well for seven or eight years. In 

 Austria they often prove prolific for twenty to 

 twenty-five years on the same principle, with the 

 addition of crushed bone, horn, &c., laid at the 

 bottom of the bed. 



The most economical, and what will become the 

 most popular, method of growing asparagus, is far 

 simpler. It is indeed well in most places, if possible, 

 to prepare the ground by trenching, manure, &c., as 

 above, though this is by no means necessary. Every 

 possessor of garden ground may grow asparagus, 

 even if it be only manured and prepared as for 

 potatoes, and reap excellent crops, though not so 

 good certainly as when the soil is manured and 

 trenched more deeply as advised. And some deep 

 sandy soils exist, such as those round Colchester and 

 elsewhere, requiring only manurial aid to insure the 

 best results. However, the soil being prepared, 

 draw drills therein one inch in depth, and three feet 

 apart, and sow the seeds during the month of April, 

 watering them in, should the weather at that par- 

 ticular time be dry. 



So soon as the plants are six inches high, thin 

 them out, by removing all the lesser ones, &c. , 

 to nine inches apart. Keep well hoed during 

 the summer, and give manure-water occasionally. 

 Grown so for two summers, a moderate first cut- 

 ting may be made the following spring ; in view of 

 which slightly prick over the surface soil between 

 the plants to within an inch of the roots, place the 

 soU in mound form over the crowns of the plants, 

 then place a thick layer of good manure over the 

 whole surface of the bed. 



Cultivated in this way, the great annual labour of 

 packing up the beds is dispensed with, besides which, 

 rows of early Paris Cos lettuces can be annually 

 produced by sowing the seeds between the rows of 

 asparagus early in the month of March each year ; 



or the amateur may simply grow one or more rows 

 across any piece of good garden ground, giving 

 merely annual manuring and attention, less than 

 many vegetables require, and seciire good produce. 



Seedling asparagus plants have to be especially 

 prepared where the system of transplanting is 

 followed out, which may be done in connection with 

 both methods referred to above. The better plan 

 is to place a thickness of soil upon a hard level bed 

 of cinder ashes, or similar material, the richer it 

 is the better. Sow the seeds thinly in drill rows, 

 about twelve inches between the drills. Thin the 

 young plants out well when large enough, and en- 

 courage to make a good growth by copious manurial 

 waterings. The following spring, push a spade or 

 shovel along the surface of the hard bottom beneath 

 the soil, and so raise the whole plant up ; detach one 

 plant from another in the most convenient way 

 without injury to the roots of any, or tearing the 

 soil from them, and plant as before advised. 



Selected or improved varieties generally produce 

 finer blades than ordinary seeded plants do, for 

 which reason Conover's Colossal, an American 

 variety, should have precedence, by all who would 

 succeed thoroughly. It is important also to procure 

 seeds from a reliable source. The general practice 

 is to procure two-year-old plants from reputed nur- 

 serymen. By so doing, a year or more is saved in 

 the ultimate production of a crop. 



In instances where a bed already exists, and a 

 future renewal of its contents is anticipated, seeds 

 may be sown in advance to produce the needful 

 young plants in due time. Where the better system 

 of sowing in soil placed upon a level and hard 

 basis is not followed, sow the seeds upon an open 

 sunny bed, in rich soil, not too thickly, leaving 

 them to complete therein a two-summers' growth. 

 In taking them up at the stage already indicated, 

 use great care not to break any roots. Every root 

 so destroj'ed limits the immediate future growing 

 capacity of the plant, besides a risk of injury to 

 other parts owing to the decay of the same. 



The asparagus is mostly a seaside plant, growing 

 near sand-covered rocks even on some western 

 coasts of Great Britain. It is a great aid to their 

 superior culture to use abundance of sea-weed in 

 the bottoms of the trenches, when preparing the 

 ground for them ; and the majority of inland soils 

 would be made vastly more fitting for this plant were 

 they very liberally mixed with sea-sand. 



Many good and highly promising asparagus-beds 

 are destroyed, owing to the thoughtless persistence 

 of the possessors in cutting for use out of season. 

 Not only does this practice so exhaust the root-base, 

 that it has not power to make strong summer shoots ; 

 but such shoots as are permitted to grow are often 



