ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



33 



that Asparagus, being a succulent plant, does not grow in the 

 winter like woody-fibred plants, and that it very often rots 

 when it is placed in the ground too soon. It is only in 

 southern climates that it may be planted in autumn or winter. 

 Whether you plant in beds or borders, the proper position of each 

 stool must be marked off with the measuring line and dibber. 

 Having completed this part of the operation, bring a little 

 light soil over the part marked, so as to form a little mound as 

 shown at m m (fig. 4) of about 2 in. in height, and in the form 

 of a flattened sugar-loaf, continuing the operations to the end 

 of each line. ' You next take a stool and spread it out on the 

 little mound, arranging the roots in such a manner that they 

 neither touch nor cross each other, covering them up to a depth 

 of from 3 in. to 4 in. with fine, light soiL Press the soil 

 down firmly over the roots so as to bring them close together. 



Fig. 5.— Asparagus trenches after planting. 



so that the stool may not be disturbed, as well as to drive out 

 all the air from beneath the soil, and the operation is finished. 

 It now only remains for us to fill up the empty spaces between 

 the mounds with earth, smoothing the surface of the bottom of 

 each trench with the rake level with the line B, as shown in fig. 5, 

 that is to the depth of 4 in. Fig. 4 shows a section of the beds be- 

 fore they are planted, and fig. 5 a section of them after the 

 operation has been completed, with the exception that the 

 stools and mounds are shown while they are really covered 

 up by the soil which has been taken from the mounds, where 

 they formed an angle on a level with H H (fig. 5). The stools 



