Asparagus 23 



As a field crop, it is ordinarily grown in the best and 

 richest soil available. The permanency of the plantation 

 will depend largely on the original quality of the land, 

 the preparation of it, good drainage, the method of plant- 

 ing, and particularly on the subsequent care and fertiliz- 

 ing of the plantation, and in taking care not to cut or 

 harvest it over too long a period. It is the aim to secure 

 large broad crowns. After a dozen years, however, more 

 or less, the size of shoots usually decreases and a new 

 plantation will probably give better results in a good mar- 

 ketable product. > 



Distances; 'planting. 



Asparagus may be either green or blanched. The dif- 

 ference lies wholly in the treatment. Naturally the shoots 

 are green when they appear above the surface. By hilling 

 over the row with earth, the shoots may be cut through 

 the earth at the side of the ridge before they break out 

 and become green. For such work, the earth should be of 

 a sandy or loamy nature, so that it can be thrown against 

 the row with a banking plow (or a shovel in small planta- 

 tions) ; the rows are set as much as 6 feet apart, and often 

 8 or 10 feet. Green asparagus is better in quality. 



The roots of asparagus should be in moist cool earth, 

 with opportunity to forage as far as they will. The roots 

 run horizontally rather than perpendicularly. It is well, 

 therefore, to place the rows not closer than 4 feet. The 

 plants (previously grown from seeds) should be set deep. 

 The custom is to subsoil the land, if it is hard beneath 

 the surface, plowing in a heavy coating of well-rotted 

 manure if necessary. The plants are then set in furrows 



