^2 



ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



value of giving plenty of room. Single plants here and 

 there in the open spaces between bushes, fruits, or dwarf 

 pyramidal Apple or Pear trees, or single lines, wherever 

 room can be found for them, would, from the sufficient space 

 allowed to each plant, soon convince all of the value of the 

 •system. 



Planting. — Healthy yearling plants are always chosen, 

 and they are planted about the time, or a little before the time, 

 when growth commences in spring. They are invariably 

 planted in a shallow trench, somewhat like a Celery trench 

 — not quite so deep and not manured as that is, supposing 

 that the ground is in fair condition. In a trench about 

 8 in. deep the plants are placed on little low hillocks, and 

 they are carefully attended to for the first year. The plants, 

 be it noted, are 4 ft. apart in the line, and 4 ft. apart in the 

 trench. It will be noticed that the second essential differ- 

 ence between the common way — that in use with us — and 

 the way it is now desired to make known, is, that in' garden 

 soil of fair quality no manure is used at the time of plant- 

 ing. There are soils in which drainage and preparation 

 might be required ; but, assuming that the soil is as good as 

 garden soil generally is, no preparation whatever is given 

 beyond the opening of the trench and the planting of each 

 foot in a little fine surface soil ; the great expense which 

 has been supposed to be necessary in the culture of this 

 plant is, at the commencement at all events, avoided. It is 

 when the plants begin to get strong and well established 

 that a little manure is applied. There is thus a great 

 •economy in two things — in plants and in manure, which 

 under the usual system with us is used to the most wasteful 

 extent — so much so, indeed, as to seriously limit production 

 by causing alarm as to expense. 



Staking. — A most important point is the regular staking 

 of the plants, the stakes being firmly placed clear of the 

 root and in a slanting position across the shoots of each 

 plant, to which they are loosely, but firmly tied. The stakes 

 are usually of barked Oak branches about 4 ft. long, and 



