Chapter VI 



ASPARAGUS. RHUBARB. HORSERADISH 



Spring is almost at hand, hut do not he too hasty to 

 begin outdoor operations. Wait until the soil is sufficiently 

 dry and warm. Nothing is gained hy heing in too great a 

 rush. — Farmer Vincent. 



SPARAGUS is a hardy perennial, 

 which, when well started and cared 

 for, should produce annual crops 

 for twenty or more years. I have 

 learned that the plants prefer a deep, 

 well-enriched, loamy, moist but not 

 wet, soil. Heavy clays are to be 

 avoided ; the ideal soil is a light, 

 sandy loam. A sheltered spot with a sunny exposure 

 helps to bring an early crop. Spade or plow the 

 ground deeply. Many writers insist that trenching, 

 two feet deep, is necessary, but very good results are 

 obtained with a working of only about half that 

 depth. Subsoiling after plowing is the ideal method 

 for large fields. 



For a small bed, the easiest way to get a quick 

 start is to buy some one-year-old roots of a seedsman, 

 and plant them in their permanent bed at once. One 

 hundred roots, when well established, should furnish 

 enough asparagus for the needs of an average family. 

 Roots should be set, in the North, in very early 

 spring ; or they may be set in the fall, if well mulched. 

 Farther south, of course, they can be set out in the 

 fall or early winter. Make furrows six inches deep 

 and three feet (four feet is better for horse cultiva- 



