Asparagus 1479 



cultivation axd fertilization 



About the time growth begins give a dressing of fertilizer down 

 the trench over the young plants — any good potato formula will 

 do. Fse about the same per given length of row as for potatoes. 



Cultivation must begin early, a small-toothed implement being 

 used to fine the soil. Some soil should be allowed to run down 

 beside the young plants, but not too much. The grower should be 

 all season filling the trench. 



Frequent cultivations and numerous hand hoeings will be re- 

 quired to keep the soil mellow and the weeds down, and this must 

 be done or the whole thing spells failure. The future productive- 

 ness of any asparagus bed is largely governed by the way the 

 young plants are grown and the way the permanent bed is cared 

 for the first two years of its existence. If neglected, either in cul- 

 tivation, hoeing, fertilization, or controlling of the insects, that 

 neglect must be paid for in low yield and poor quality. A mid- 

 summer application of nitrate of soda of about 150 pounds per 

 acre, applied beside the row and worked in, will be found bene- 

 ficial. 



During the fall of the first year apply a good dressing of animal 

 manure. The best way to do this is to plow a furrow away from 

 the plants on each side and put the manure therein and cover it 

 by plowing back over it. This induces the root system to form 

 down below and out of reach of the implements of cultivation. 



All later manurings should be in an open furrow midway be- 

 tween each row and it covered. Once in two years will do 

 for animal manurings where the soil is fairly productive, but an 

 annual application of fertilizer applied at the first working of 

 the land in the spring is essential. Be sure to apply this broad- 

 cast ; not over the row as is sometimes done. By broadcasting it 

 is better and more evenly distributed, hence where the plants 

 can use it more readily. 



At the close of the cutting season, when the bed is being leveled 

 off, apply a dressing of nitrate of soda broadcast at the rate of 

 225 pounds per acre. This in my judgment is quite important. 

 It is at this time that the plants need stimulating and the nitrate 

 supplies it. I believe, too, it wards off the rust. Beds so treated 

 are later in showing that disease. 



Cultivation should be kept up sufficient to destroy all weeds 

 and keep soil mellow. 



