ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



4.9 



straw is now placed, and another layer of Asparagus, and so 

 on till the basket is nearly full, a thicker layer of hay or 

 straw being placed on the top of all. Great care must be 

 taken not to stint the amount of hay or straw used in lining 

 the top, bottom, and sides of the basket, otherwise the tips 

 of the heads will be knocked off and the Asparagus rendered 

 unsaleable. The Asparagus grower who seeks to do a good 

 trade must exercise great taste and judgment in preparing his 

 merchandise for market. The first thing to be done is to 

 place the largest and best looking heads on the outside of the 

 bundle. Towards the end of the season, however, Early 

 Asparagus becomes rather small ; we must therefore have at 

 hand a certain quantity of large heads of Late Asparagus, so 

 as to be able to " dress " the bundles in a proper manner. 



Different Methods of Growing Asparagus. 



As we have already said, Asparagus may be grown in a 

 variety of ways — in square or oblong beds, or in borders 

 under a wall, in separate stools, or isolated plots. 



In Square Beds.— This is the mode of culture which has 

 just been described, and consists in opening a number of 

 trenches side by side with each other at a distance of from 

 3 ft. 3 in. to 4 ft. 9 in., according to circumstances. 



In Oblong Beds.— We have also spoken of this method 

 of culture, which consists in planting two rows of Asparagus 

 side by side, leaving a wide empty space between them, so 

 that the roots which spread out very widely may not become 

 entangled or live at the expense of each other. 



Wall Borders. — We may grow Asparagus on wall bor^ 

 ders, in lines between the Vines in a Vineyard, or between 

 espaliers. With a northern exposure we shall get . a late crop, 

 with a southern an early one. 



Separate Stools. — We may also grow Asparagus in single 

 stools in Vineyards in corners, in fact, wherever a piece of 

 ground is to be found upon which the sun shines. Asparagus 

 grown thus continues to bear for a long time, and in no way 



