26 



Perennial Crops 



if manure is not a-vailable, a green-manure crop may be 

 plowed under. In preparation, "for an average asparagus 

 soil 100 to 150 pounds of nitrate of soda, 500 to 1,000 

 pounds of 16 per cent acid phosphate, and 150 to 300 

 pounds of muriate of potash to the acre will give good 

 results when applied in connection with manure or legumi- 

 nous crops." After the plantation is established " a com- 

 mon practice among market gardeners is to apply 20 to 

 40 tons of manure to the acre broadcast over the bed dur- 

 ing the autumn or winter.^' In addition, Thompson 

 recommends a good complete fertilizer at the rate of 1,000 

 to 1,500 pounds to the acre at the close of the cutting 

 season. 



The energy of the crown and roots is supplied from the 

 foliage that developed in the previous summer. Without a 

 strong growth of top, one cannot expect a good growth 

 of roots and a heavy yield the following year. The tops 

 should be mown late in fall. Some persons allow these 

 tops to lie on the ground as a winter protection. If, how- 

 ever, the plants produce many berries, there will be so 

 many seedling plants as to make trouble; in that case, it 

 is better to burn the tops. It is also well to remove and 

 burn them in order to allow a thorough tillage in autumn. 

 The bed should then be given a dressing as already sug- 

 gested, both to afford winter protection and to supply 

 plant-food. 



The value of asparagus lies in its succulence and ten- 

 derness, and these qualities are usually associated with 

 large size of shoot. These attributes are secured by very 

 rich soil and by thorough attention to good tillage, and 

 destruction of beetles and rust. 



