7 ASPARAGUS 187 
Sometimes the beds or benches of the greenhouse are 
used for forcing asparagus. If there is a good market 
for the product, it may pay as well as lettuce or other 
more commonly grown greenhouse crops. 
A Pennsylvania grower has been highly successful in 
forcing asparagus in a house which is about 20 by 50 
feet in size. Almost the entire structure is below the 
surface of the ground. That is, the brick walls which are 
about 8 feet high extend less than a foot above the 
ground. The roof, which slopes slightly, is made of glass 
and sash-bars which extend across the entire width of the 
house. There are three tiers of beds in this structure ar- 
ranged in the same manner as for the culture of mush- 
rooms. It is seen at once that the house is economical in 
construction as well as in heating. The few heating pipes 
needed are connected with the furnace of the residence. 
Several crops may be grown in this house during the 
winter. The owner is well pleased with the results. 
Sheds in connection with greenhouses or potting rooms 
are often used for the forcing of asparagus. It may also 
be grown in cellars which are warm enough. A common 
plan in this country and in Europe is to use either manure 
or steam-heated frames or hotheds. When manure is 
used, the roots must not be planted until the violent heat 
has subsided, or small, spindling shoots will be produced. 
If the climate is severe and the roots are forced during 
the winter months, there should be a depth in the hotbed 
of not less than 30 inches of manure. 
Soil.—Any fine soil that contains a large proportion of 
organic matter will be suitable for forcing this crop. It 
is possible that nearly as good results might be obtained 
by planting in sand or coal ashes. If the roots obtain 
even a sinall percentage of nutrients from the earth dur- 
ing the period of forcing, then it would be desirable, of 
course, to use rich soil. Inasmuch as this seems to be 
a debatable question, the safe practice is to use fertile 
soil that will absorb water promptly after its application. 
