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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS aspaeagus 



to the ground for Asparagus, and where- 

 ever the soil is of a stif&sh nature it may 

 always be lightened with river sand, road 

 sweepings, old mortar rubbish, and plenty 

 of farmyard manure. Thorough drainage 

 is essential, and when trenching the soil 

 the bottom should therefore alwaj's be 

 well broken up. The drainage may be 

 improved if necessary by a layer of brick 

 rubbish, broken clinkers &c. at the bottom 

 of the trench. 



Propagation. — Asparagus plants may 

 be raised from seed. The latter are black 

 in colour and triangular in shape, and 

 may be sown thinly — about ^ in. apart— 

 at the end of March or early in April out 

 of doors in driUs about 2 in. deep and 1 ft. 

 or 18 in. apart, when the soil is in a dryish 

 and friable condition. The soil is closed 

 over the seeds, and made firm and level 

 by treading, or in the case of large patches 

 a light roller may be used with greater 

 advantage. 



Preparing the beds. — If it is intended 

 to produce the crop on the seed-beds— 

 which may be level, or raised, and about 

 3-5 ft. vnde with an alley 2 ft. wide 

 between the beds — the young plants 

 should be thinned out when large enough 

 to handle easily, leaving only the strongest 

 at a distance of about 18 in. between them 

 in the rows. "When the stems and 

 feathery foUage become yellow in autumn, 

 they may be cut down to within 2 in. of 

 the ground. The surface of the latter 

 should then be covered with a, good layer 

 of well-rotted farmyard manure to serve 

 as a protection against frost, and also to 

 benefit the roots when growth begins 

 again in spring. 



The following year the plants are 

 allowed to grow in the same way, keeping 

 the ground iree from weeds, cutting the 

 stems down in autumn, and heavily 

 mamiring. But it is not wise to begin 

 cutting the shoots until the third year, 

 when the plants wiU have become well 

 established. If cutting is deferred until 

 the fourth year from raising the seeds, so 

 much the better. 



Instead of allowing the plants to come 

 into bearing from the bed in which the 

 seeds were sown, as described above, the 

 seedlings may be allowed to grow the 

 first year with little or no thinning out, 

 according to whether they have been 

 sown thickly or otherwise. After cutting 

 down in autumn and covering with 

 manure, they may rest until the end of 



March or beginning of April. In the 

 meantime beds 3, 4, or 5 ft. wide, accord- 

 ing to taste, should be prepared during 

 the winter months. Where the soil is 

 light, deep, and rich, it is scarcely 

 necessary to make raised beds, although 

 that is the general rule, and a very good 

 one, where the soil is naturally poor and 

 shallow with a cold and sterile subsoil. 

 By having raised beds rich and well- 

 prepared soU may be used, but where 

 this cannot be secured, it is better to leave 

 the culture of Asparagus severely alone. 



Planting. — The beds having been 

 prepared and allowed to settle during the 

 winter they will be ready for planting at 

 the end of March or early in April as 

 the crowns are starting into growth. 

 Trenches 4 or 6 in. deep may be cut vtdth 

 a spade ready for the young plants. These 

 are carefully lifted from the seed-bed of 

 the previous year, and the plants are 

 placed in rows about 18 in. from each 

 other. Many excellent growers, however, 

 consider this too near, and recommend as 

 much as 2-2^ ft. between the plants, 

 while others recommend as much as 4 ft. 

 between the clumps every way. By 

 adopting the latter method it is possible 

 to secure other crops of vegetables off 

 the beds until the Asparagus is fit for 

 cutting. French Beans, Lettuce, and 

 Early Potatoes are crops that may with 

 advantage be grown on young Asparagus 

 beds ; but it is essential when adopting 

 this method of overcropping to know 

 exactly where the Asparagus plants are 

 located. 



Another good way is to make the beds 

 at the lowest level at which the plants 

 are to be placed without the use of 

 trenches. Having placed the crowns at 

 the required distances from each other, 

 the soil may then be placed over them to 

 the proper depth. 



During the actual process of planting, 

 the roots should be spread out carefully, 

 and the soil should be drawn over them 

 with the hand and made firm around them 

 until the crown of the plant is about 2 in. 

 beneath the surface of the bed. 



It may be remarked that the first row 

 in the bed should be down the centre, the 

 others on each side being equal distances 

 from it. And the first plant in the row 

 should be at least 9 in. from the edge of 

 the bed. Dull showery but mild weather 

 is best for planting. 



Mulching. — After planting and making 



