ENCYCLOPZDIA OF GARDENING. 
Keep beds free of weeds. Cut down stems early in Nov. Top-dress 
with decayed manure in Nov., previously lightly forking up surface, 
& cover with sprinkling of soil. In March, lightly fork over surface, 
rake off rough particles into alley, & leave smooth & neat. Solid 
manures: Decayed horse manure for heavy soils; cow or pig manures 
for light soils; seaweed mixed with above manures & applied as a 
top-dressing in Nov.; common salt, loz. to a square yard, applied 
once a month, May to Sept.; Peruvian guano 1oz. to a square yard, 
applied once a month, April to Sept.; 3 1b. common salt, 14 1b. super- 
phosphate, 141b, nitrate of soda, 1lb. kainit, mixed together, and 
applied at rate of 2oz. per square yard in April and 2oz. in July. 
Liquid manures: 20z. potash, 20z. superphosphate, & loz. sulphate 
of ammonia to each walla of water, applied in June; common salt, 
20z. to each gallon of water, applied in May and July; nitrate of soda, 
4oz. to each gallon of water applied in May, July, & Aug.; drainings 
from mauure heap applied frequently in April to Sept. 
Forcrne 1n Boxes: Place strong shoots not less than three years old 
in deep Loxes containing a few inches of mould. Cover crowns with 
four inches of mould. Place boxes in temp. of 65° to 75° any time 
between Nov. & March. Cover closely & Teen moist. When shoots 
show, moisten with tepid water containing 2 0z. of salt to each gallon. 
Forcine in Frames: Prepare hotbed of manure in usual way. Cover 
with 3 in. of light soil. Place roots on this and cover to depth of 5in. 
Keep soil moist & frame closed until shoots appear, when admit a little 
air. Temp., 60° to 75°. Roots of no use after forcing. 
Propagation or Episte Asparacus. — Propagate by seeds 
sown in groups of three or four in holes lin. deep & 15in. apart 
in rows formed as advised for planting; or in drills lin. deep & 12 in. 
apart in ordinary svil—both in March or April. Thin seedlings raised 
by the first method to one in each group in May; those by the second 
method to a foot apart when 3in. high. Transplant latter into per- 
manent beds when two or three years old. Seedlings ready to cut 
fourth year after sowing. Seeds take 20 days to germinate. A quarter- 
pint of seed will sow a row 50 ft. long. Five pounds of seed required 
to sow an acre, or yield 14,000 plants. 
Marker Cutrure or Eprpue Asparagus: Soil, rich loam or sandy 
loam, deeply ploughed or trenched. Manures: 40 tons of farm- 
yard manure and 3 cwt. of kainit per acre applied in autumn. Apply 
annually in April 2cwt. of nitrate of soda or 1 cwt. Peruvian guano 
pee acre to established beds; or 40 bushels of soot per acre applied in 
arch. Nitrate of soda preferable to salt. Sow seeds in drills 2in. 
deep and 12in. apart in March. Following March or April dig out 
trenches 10 in. deep and 4 ft, apart, plant seedling crowns 2 ft, apart 
in these, and cover with 2in. of soil. Leave remainder of trench 
unfilled. Horse-hoe land between frequently; the trenches will 
gradually fill up. Mow off foliage in autumn. In autumn of second 
year apply 20 tons of manure per acre. Third year commence to 
gather the shoots. Break, not cut, them off just beneath surface. 
Gather when 6 to 7in. long. Grade into sizes, & marlet in bundles 
4in. in diameter and 7in. long. Average yield per acre, 3 to 10 cwt., 
or 200 to 600 bundles of 100 shoots. Quantity of seed to sow an acre, 
5 1b.; plants or crowns, 14,000. Prices for forced, 2s. 6d. to 10s.; out- 
door, 1s, to 2s. 6d. per bundle. 
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