KITCHEN-GARDEN VEGETABLES. 
the bed to the direct action of the sun’s rays 
when they are most powerful. In this way 
they have greater effect than when the end 
of the bed is presented to their influence; and 
the consequence is, that the Asparagus pushes 
earlier in the season than it does in beds run- 
ning north and south. 
Except for the earliest beds the direction is 
immaterial, and they may run east and west 
or north and south as may be most convenient. 
In proceeding to plant, the beds and alleys 
should be marked off at the required distance. 
A stout peg or small stake should be driven in 
at each corner of the beds, and from these the 
distances for the rows should be measured. 
Some good cultivators near the Thames, where 
the soil is loose, sandy, and light, make the 
beds 6 feet wide, and instead of being level 
on the top, and trenches or alleys being cut 
down between them perpendicularly, or nearly 
so, the tops of the beds are rounded. Others 
have the beds 4 or 5 feet wide, with only one 
row of Asparagus, and a row of dwarf Kidney- 
beans about 6*inches from each edge of the 
bed. Mr. Errington set out his beds for two 
rows each, the rows 2 feet apart, with an alley 
of 4 feet between them. By this arrangement 
each bed occupied 6 feet. There are thus 2 feet 
between the rows, then a foot on each side of 
these, making 4 feet for the beds; leaving 2 feet 
for an alley and for soil for earthing up. 
Where the soil is deep and easily worked 
and the sub-soil is sandy or gravelly, raised 
beds may be dispensed with and Asparagus be 
successfully grown on the level. This method 
is gaining favour among market growers who 
are unable to incur much expense in preparing 
the ground. Very poor ground ought to be 
bastard trenched and liberally dressed with 
farmyard manure, mixing the manure with 
both spits. If extra fine produce is desired, 
plant 3 feet apart each way, and crop lightly 
between with salading, Kidney-beans, Turnips, 
and such quick crops, till the Asparagus has 
attained something like its full dimensions. All 
things considered, it is best to plant 15 to 18 
inches apart in rows 3 feet apart, and in the 
course of three or four seasons cutting may 
commence. Growing in rows admits of the 
crowns being easily moulded up with pulverized 
soil prior to active growth commencing in the 
spring; and this practice is desirable, as by far 
the best prices are obtained for stout shoots 
blanched to at least three parts of their full 
length. Dressings of manure or rich compost 
may, with advantage, be distributed along the 
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alleys formed by moulding up, and liquid manure 
can and should also be freely and frequently 
applied in the alleys. 
There are various ways of planting; some cut 
out a trench, as if for laying box, deep enough 
to allow the roots to be spread out like a fan 
against the cut, the crown of the plant being 
kept 2 inches below the surface. Some dig out 
a trench, and at the proper distances form little 
hillocks of fine soil, over which the roots are 
spread. Others make a ridge, on the top of 
which they set the plants, spreading their roots 
on each side of the ridge; and again, some take 
off a portion of the soil of the bed, and after 
the surface has been raked smooth, the 100ts of 
the plants are spread out on the level. The 
position given to the roots by the last method 
is not natural, therefore we cannot recommend 
it, but any of the other modes may be adopted. 
In extensive plantations the first 1s generally 
practised, as it is the most expeditious, and 
answers very well; but whatever method be 
preferred, the crowns of the plants should all 
be on the same level, otherwise those that are 
too high would be liable to be injured by the 
knife in cutting. 
Good plants one year old are generally pre- 
ferred, but some employ two-year-old plants. 
They should be carefully taken up with a fork, 
and the roots preserved as entire as possible. 
It is a good plan to stretch the line precisely 
where the Asparagus is to be; a slanting cut 
to be made sloping from the line, about 9 inches 
deep, and a similar cut on the opposite side of 
the line, leaving a sharp and angular ridge, 
across which the plants are to be set astride; 
the operator, taking half of the roots in the one 
hand and half in the other, divides them across 
the ridge, at the distance of 12 to 15 inches 
between plant and plant. When finished they 
should be covered with about 3 inches of soil. 
A fter-management.—During the summer and 
autumn the ground must be kept free of weeds, 
an occasional light hoeing accomplishing this, as 
it is of the greatest importance that weeds be 
never allowed to get the upper hand. A summer 
mulching ot strawy manure acts beneficially, 
inasmuch as it conserves the moisture in the 
ground during dry weather and also tends to 
keep down weeds. In the autumn mark any 
blanks that may be found, with a view to re- 
planting, and when the stalks are withered cut 
down and burn them. Before active growth 
commences the following spring, very lightly 
fork over the ground, taking particular care 
not to disturb any roots or damage the crowns. 
