36 



ASPAKAGUS CULTUEK 



consequently are covered up as far as the dotted line b 10 1 

 that is to say, to the depth of an additional 4 in., including 

 the little mounds which have been flattened down by the 

 superincumbent pressure, and are now only from \ in. to 1 in. 

 thick. For planting under walls on the level surface we dig 

 holes of 8 in. in depth, refilling with 1 in. of light earth, and 

 plant according to the directions given above, filling up with 

 3 \ in. to 4 in. of earth. Small mounds are placed round the 

 plant so as to attract the humidity of the soil, if it is dry, and on 

 the mounds must be formed others, or the Asparagus heads will 

 be too short. Some authors recommend that the stools should 

 be planted as soon as they are pulled up, but this is an error, 

 for Asparagus takes root much more readily when it is faded. 

 Like all succulent plants it is apt to rot if it is planted when 

 quite fresh. It has also been observed that plants sent from 

 a distance strike root much more easily than those taken from 

 a plantation close by, and produce much better heads. We 

 have ourselves planted on the 1 6th of April stools which were 

 taken out of the ground on the 20th of the previous Febru- 

 ary, and the plants which they produced were in all respects 

 most satisfactory. 



Tkeatment of Young Plants. 



First Year. — The operations to be performed during the 

 first year are limited to keeping the Asparagus plantations 

 constantly free from weeds, hunting down the Crioceris Aspa- 

 ragi, as explained farther on, and placing sticks at the bottom 

 of each stool as soon as the stems are 18 in. or 20 in. high. 

 For the latter purpose we insert a little stick of wood at 

 12 in. or 14 in. from the stool so as to avoid all danger of 

 hurting the roots, bending the stick over until it is in close 

 proximity to the shoot we desire to protect. At the point 

 where the stick touches the shoot we tie them together with 

 a piece of bast or other tying material. This operation is for 

 the purpose of preventing the wind from disturbing the stool 

 in the soil by shaking the shoot backwards and forwards. 

 This precaution is very necessary in localities exposed to high 



