ASPAEAGtrS. 45 



being any other than what was cultivated on Long 

 Island and in other Asparagus-producing sections. 



I have for two years experimented with the 

 " Colossal," and I am fully convinced that it is a new 

 variety here, possessing many characteristics that will 

 make it a valuable acquisition to our list of vegeta- 

 bles. Plants only one year old will average larger 

 than plants two years old, of the other varieties, 

 when grown on the same soil and under the same 

 treatment. 



Formerly, in making an Asparagus-bed, the plants 

 were set too near together. With the " Colossal," 

 4x2 will be found better than close planting. Even 

 with the green or purple-top, 3x2 will be found, at 

 the end of five years, to produce more to the acre 

 than if set nine inches in the row and eighteen inches 

 between the rows. 



crTTiNG Airo BUNcnrNG. 



Cutting Asparagus intelligently is one of the nice 

 jobs in gardening that cannot, without careful in- 

 structions, be delegated to Tom, Dick, or Harry. A 

 careless use of the knife often spoils more stocks just 

 imder the surface than there are spears fit for use 

 above. 



The time to cut is before the head of the Aspara- 

 gus branches out and loses its compact form, when 

 the spears are from six to eight inches long. The 

 knife must be kept sharp. It should be of a certain 

 shape, as seen on p. 44. The blade of this knife is 

 broad, and about eight inches long ; most of the cut- 

 ting has to be done with the point of the knife. It 



