— 398 
Treat as before during the next two summers, 
taking the precaution of lightly staking up any 
extra strong shoots that form—allowing these to 
be broken down by wind and rain, or even to 
blow about much, being a great mistake,—and in 
the autumn trim over the beds as before. It is 
unwise to commence cutting before the third or 
fourth year. If a start is made during the 
third year, only a few shoots should be cut, and 
those early in the season. By exercising a little 
patience at the outset the produce from the 
fourth year onwards will amply compensate for 
what may seem a long wait. 
As Asparagus cannot well be grown too 
strongly, feeding from the surface should com- 
mence during the fourth season, and be closely 
attended to afterwards. The old-fashioned plan 
of giving a heavy autumn dressing of man- 
ure no longer meets with favour. Asparagus, 
unless actually on the surface, that is to say 
unduly exposed, is perfectly hardy, and is likely 
to be injured by a superabundahce of solid 
manure. Chopping down the sides of the 
ridges and disturbing or breaking up the soil 
in the alleys again is a faulty practice, as it | 
leads to the wholesale destruction of roots.” A | 
covering of about 3 inches of half-decayed | 
manure acts beneficially in the case of light 
sandy soils, and this, in the spring, before growth 
commences, should be lightly forked over, all 
rubbish and stones being at the same time 
a 
Fig. 1151.—French Method of planting Asparagus. 
mM, Mounds; p, Plants. Dotted lines show method of earthing-up. 
Fig. 1152.—Another French Method of Earthing-up Asparagus The dotted lines show 
the 4-inch layer of soil placed in the furrows over the plants each year. 
raked off and cleared away. In the case of 
heavier soils it is sufficient to loosen the surface 
of the beds in the spring, following this up 
with a top-dressing of light sandy soil and 
guano, or sulphate of ammonia or magnesia. 
If long, partially-blanched shoots are desired, 
mound up over the crowns with fine light soil. 
THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. 
The shoots are frequently spoilt by late frosts 
if the crowns are too near the surface. A 
covering of strawy litter over them is the best 
protection. Be careful not to top-dress with 
soil likely to contain seeds of weeds, nor to 
leave weeds on the beds long enough to seed, 
or much after-trouble and labour will have to 
be faced. In the autumn, wait till the tops are 
quite dead before cutting them down, and with 
them clear away any large weeds that may be 
found. 
Asparagus is extensively grown at Argenteuil, 
near Paris, for the markets of that city, and their 
Asparagus has become famed for its great size 
and excellent quality. It must be remembered 
that in general the object is to grow large stout 
shoots perfectly blanched, with the exception 
of the tops, which should be rose-coloured, 
red, or violet; but by allowing the shoots to 
remain longer uncut, or to be more exposed to 
the light, a greater amount of edible shoot can’ 
be secured. 
The system is in one respect directly the 
reverse of that usually followed in England— 
the Asparagus is planted in trenches instead of 
in beds. It is also frequently planted at wide 
intervals among the Vines in vineyards. At the 
beginning of winter the ground is dug 16 inches 
deep, and in February the ridges and trenches 
are lined off, if possible so as to run north and 
south. 
The first triangular ridge is only half 
the size of the rest, being 14 inches 
wide at the base, and 6 inches high. 
Two feet from the inner side of the 
base of this ridge a line is stretched, 
and a second line at 2 feet 4 inches 
from it, giving the base of the first 
full-sized ridge. This is to be a foot 
high. The whole of the ground is thus 
marked out in 2-feet trenches and 
28-inch wide ridges alternately, the 
soil from the trenches being of course 
used to raise the ridges. The soil 
thrown up is intended to cover the 
shoots in the third year, previous to 
the first cutting, and, the same thing 
being repeated in the succeeding year, 
at the end of the fifth season the 
ground will be level. (See fig. 1152.) 
Planting is done in March or April. Holes 
8 inches in diameter and 4 deep are made a 
yard apart along the middle of each trench, the 
earth in the centre of the hole being formed into 
a hillock 2 inches high on which the roots of the 
plants are spread out equally in all directions. 
They are covered with 3 inch of soil, then with 
