ELEVEN] COME AND SEE MY CABBAGES 
then fill the intermediate space with the richest 
manure. The soil for asparagus should be very 
rich and very deep, but on no account should there 
be applied any raw manure. Apply liquid manure 
frequently, and salt brine very freely, then be sure 
the ground is kept clean and friable. It is not a 
bad plan to burn over an asparagus bed, with straw 
and rubbish, late in the fall or early in the spring. 
For greens and salads we shall stand in need of 
a plenty of dandelions. But as these now grow 
almost everywhere on our farms, and appear in 
such quantities that we can cut all we choose, and 
very early in the spring, there is no need of my say- 
ing anything about their culture. An enthusiastic 
doctor has said that, notwithstanding the number 
of dandelions in the world, considering their value 
to human health, “God never made a dandelion 
too many.” Among other good greens are Swiss 
chard, spinach, early beets, and beet tops. All 
these can be had in the simplest garden. A little 
later we can utilize pigweed, milkweed, and poke 
stems, all of them excellent food. In the fall we 
should learn to utilize and appreciate purslane. 
This weed is growing in favor as a succulent and 
delicious food. Swiss chard is seldom grown, but 
[247] 
