ASPAEAGUS. 37 



ter of course, under such circumstances, large profits 

 are not realized by the producer. 



SOWING THE SEED. 



Asparagus-seed should be sown in the Spring in 

 a bed made deep, mellow, and rich. When the sur- 

 face of such a bed has been raked over, removing 

 any stones or other obstructions, shallow drills should 

 be opened, about one inch deep and a foot apart. 

 The seed must be strewed thinly, by hand, in these 

 drills, and then covered by raking the bed with 

 wooden rakes, drawing them in the direction of the 

 drills. In favorable weather fresh seed will sprout 

 in two weeks from the time of sowing. Seed older 

 than one year will take longer to germinate, and, if 

 more than three years old, it is unsafe to sow it ; 

 there is no prospect of its ever germinating. In 

 case the seed is older than one year, soaking it in 

 milk twenty-four hours before sowing will cause it 

 to germinate sooner. 



It is a good plan to scatter some Radish-seed in 

 the drills at the time of sowing the Asparagus-seed. 

 The Kadish will germinate and come up in a few 

 days from the time of sowing, marking the lines of 

 the rows. This will give a chance to run a scuffle- 

 hoe between the rows, destroying any weeds that 

 may have appeared, and keeping the surface loose 

 until the Asparagus plants are well up. Then tlie 

 spaces between the rows should be distm-bed fre- 

 quently, and no weeds or grass allowed to grow. 

 Well-grown one-year-old plants will be strong enough 

 for transplanting into the porruauont bed. If the 



