May : First Week 



CARE OF ASPARAGUS; RHUBARB; SEA KALE; THE 

 CANE FRUITS; GRAPES; THE NEW STRAW- 

 BERRY BED; FALL FRUITING STRAWBERRIES 



Most gardeners find it more interesting to plant a new 

 crop, or start a new bed of perennial things, than to take 

 care of the old plants. But it is by no means more impor- 

 tant. A full share of spring attention should be given to the 

 permanent crops — asparagus, rhubarb, sea kale, straw- 

 berries, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, blackberries and 

 grapes. All these crops must be grown a year ahead. To 

 put it another way, the amoimt and quality of the crop you 

 get this year depend more upon the way you took care of the 

 plants last season than upon anything you can do now. 

 By the same token, if you want a good crop next year you 

 will have to prepare for it this season. This does not mean, 

 however, that you can neglect the plants this spring. 



A well-made and well-cared-for asparagus bed should 

 last fifteen years; many beds stiU giving good yields have 

 been cut for thirty years. But these have not been neg- 

 lected. If a bed is once allowed to run down it will very 

 quickly run out entirely. Work should be begun early in 

 spring. If the bed was mulched last fall the manure should 

 be worked into the soil as soon as possible, especially be- 

 tween the rows. A mistake commonly made in taking care 

 of asparagus beds is to sow manure or fertilizer directly 

 along the row, thus inducing the roots to grow near the sur- 

 face, which is just the thing that is not wanted. If the 

 bed was properly planted the crowns should be from four 

 to six inches below the top, so the whole bed, rows and all, 

 can be worked over with the wheel hoe or cultivator. In the 

 home garden it is an easy matter to cultivate deeply between 



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