40 



ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



little known and used, but it is of the greatest possible service, 

 and we recommend it highly to Asparagus growers. 



Shallow Hoeing is a very simple and very easy opera- 

 tion, so well known as not to need description. We ought r 

 however, to remark that it is essential to use a very light tool 

 and not to disturb the earth to so great a depth as is done 

 in certain localities. It is only necessary to penetrate to a 

 depth of about \ in., so as to cut off, the weeds at the crown. 

 If we hoe more deeply than this we shall nolfonly bring up 

 to the surface a number of seeds which will promptly ger- 

 minate, but we shall cut the weeds too far below the collar, 

 at the same time pushing them back again into the soil, so 

 that after the next shower of rain we shall be surprised to see 

 a large number of them lifting up their heads once more. 

 Digging operations require a much greater amount of atten- 

 tion than light hoeing. The labourer, armed with his fork, 

 sits astraddle on the mound and stirs up the soil at the sides, 

 throwing a little of it behind him without destroying the 

 shape of the mound too much, and taking care not to hurt 

 the roots of the Asparagus plants, which he may easily do if 

 he works below the surface of the soil in the trenches. 



In sandy situations, or very soft soils, there are certain 

 strong-growing weeds that the flat-toothed fork is powerless 

 to destroy ; in this case the large broad hoe must be used, 

 but it requires long practice to handle this implement properly. 

 It is a very tiring tool to use, but it completely moves the 

 earth, for it makes a hole like a spade. The hoe has the 

 advantage of not interfering with the form of the mound, so 

 that it leaves no work behind it. But, in spite of every pre- 

 caution, the form of the mound is more or less spoiled by 

 digging operations, so that it must be restored to its original 

 shape by the aid of the flat hoe or the small hoe. Careful 

 growers overturn their mounds every year ; others, every two 

 years ; while others only perform this operation once in three 

 years. There is no doubt, however, that the more the earth 

 is disturbed the more active is the growth of the plants. 







