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ASPABAGTJS CULTURE. 



been estimated that it yields only a quarter of the crop 

 furnished by the Argenteuil sort, all other things being equal. 

 It also needs greater care and a larger quantity of manure. 



The Soil. — Asparagus may be grown, and will thrive, in 

 almost every kind of soil ; heavy and damp soils, however, 

 must be lightened before they will yield abundant crops. The 

 best soil for growing Asparagus is a light one, either calcareous, 

 siliceous, or granitic. If the soil is hard and heavy, it must 

 be made lighter during the first few years by spreading over 

 the stools a certain quantity of sand, lime-kiln, or other ashes, 

 coal-dust, and similar inert materials, until it has lost its 

 property of hardening and cracking during the dry season. 



Preparation of the Ground.— Generally speaking, a 

 great deal of very useless trouble is taken in the preparation 

 of a piece of ground intended for an Asparagus bed. Some 

 growers dig out the whole of the soil to the depth of 3 ft. or 

 4 ft., filling up the void with masses of manure, which, instead 

 of favouring the growth of the crop, are not only lost but are 

 absolutely injurious. When the spot on which the Asparagus 

 bed is to be formed has been decided on, it is only necessary 

 to turn up the soil to the depth of from 10 in. to 12 in., 

 either before or after the winter sets in. Large and small 

 stones must be carefully removed, so as to render the soil 

 easier to work. Asparagus requires a firm soil to root in ; 

 we must be careful, therefore, not to dig down below a 

 greater depth than 12 in., for if the roots bury themselves at 

 too great a depth they will feel the effects of the atmosphere 

 in a very small degree. Their growth will be consequently 

 retarded, the crop will be smaller, the heads thinner, and the 

 plants shorter-lived. The soil ought to be allowed to 

 remain fallow after digging, that is to say, nothing but the 

 rake should be passed over it to make all smooth — thus 

 enabling the frost to have a greater action on it than other- 

 wise. Whatever may be the quality of the soil in other ways, 

 it is of the greatest importance that the ground should be 

 cleared of stones great and small, as they not only prevent 



