THE BOOK OF ASPARAGUS 



kinds of refuse to make the soil workable. I burnt some of 

 the stiff soil, and I brought all kinds of leaf soils, burnt 

 rubbish, manure, and even old mortar and plaster. 

 Then I threw up the beds well above the general level 

 and manured heavily on the surface in order to keep the 

 roots " up." It was hard up-hill work, as is always the 

 case when one is trying to grow plants in unsuitable 

 soil. In spite of all my labour, I did not feel satisfied 

 with the results. Yet we had fairly good crops, but 

 I never depended on beds older than six years for 

 asparagus of the finest quality. Nothing of this kind 

 need be feared in dealing with suitable soils, for on such 

 I have seen beds planted only two years and thought 

 they were old established ones. When proper soil can be 

 found — soil, that is, of a good sandy nature — it matters 

 not at all in which county it be, if only such be naturally 

 drained, little fear need be entertained as to results. 

 Important it is that care be exercised in selecting our 

 soil, but the site is also of the utmost importance, as a 

 good sunny position somewhat but gently sloping to the 

 south is quite necessary to success in asparagus culture. 

 If protection be afforded by screens on the western side, 

 or on the side of the site whence the prevailing winds 

 sweep, so much the better. The importance of this will 

 be seen later. 



Varieties 



There are many so-called varieties, yet they differ 

 but little. Messrs Sutton and Sons of Reading have 

 two — Perfection and Giant French — which are somewhat 

 distinct. They are both excellent kinds, but whether 

 they differ from others going by different names I do 

 not know, for culture has a great deal to do with the 

 appearance of asparagus as of human beings. A variety 

 which is sometimes well grown, and sometimes the 

 reverse, varies much in appearance, thus favouring the 



