74 



ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



The cultivation of Asparagus is a subject to which 



considerable attention has been devoted in various parts of 

 the kingdom, but, so far as I am aware, always upon the 

 thickly -planted system, whether grown in beds or in lines. 

 The results in the majority of instances are, therefore, the 

 reverse of satisfactory, considering the great expense incurred 

 in the shape of labour and manure in making a plantation. I 

 have already planted some on the principle advocated in The 

 Garden — that is, single plants or stools amongst lines of 

 Gooseberry bushes. I added no manure, but I intend giving 

 heavy top-dressings. My reason for doing so was to let the 

 sun and air in about the plants, to see if I could get them to 

 stand the winter better, as we suffer badly here from their 

 rotting off at the collar during that period. I have tried 

 many plans to prevent this ; wide planting in unprepared 

 ground is the last, and I hope it may prove successful. 



M. D. 



With regard to the cultivation of Asparagus, I have 



not the least doubt that the system which you wish to intro- 

 duce is the best for obtaining large specimens, but I fear it 

 would not answer in the case of market gardeners who have to 

 pay high rents for their land. I consider that my success is 

 partly owing to thin planting compared with that of my 

 neighbours. Last week I paid a visit to a neighbour here 

 who had planted some fresh beds, and who had got three 

 rows in 2 ft. of space, which, of course, is too much crowded. 

 It may answer his purpose for a time, but the beds will soon 

 wear out. I shall plant a few single rows in two different 

 gardens and soils in the manner which you suggest. In 

 America they often grow Asparagus in single rows, but of 

 course land there is much cheaper than here. I have always 

 thought that our plan of growing Asparagus was both trouble- 

 some and expensive, and, to avoid the facing or earthing up 

 the sides every year, I planted two beds about 18 in. below the 

 surface, so that now I have nothing to do but just fork them. 



