ASPARAGUS. RHUBARB. HORSERADISH 67 



extra soil and thus more of the underground or 

 white part can be obtained when gathering. (Note: 

 R. B. Handy says that if the lay of the land permits, 

 it's an advantage to have ridged rows of asparagus 

 run north and south, on account of better distribu- 

 tion of sunshine on both sides of the ridges when 

 thus arranged.) Cutting is usually done with a spe- 

 cial-shaped asparagus knife (see 



illustration) which facilitates very i 



deep cutting. The blanched stalks an asparagus 

 are not usually allowed to get " knife" is more 



, , 1 r 1 LIKE A CHISEL 



much above the surface, and cut- 

 ting is done regularly every day, care being taken 

 not to injure stalks not yet up, or the crowns. 

 The aisles between four-foot rows may be cultivated 

 regularly with a horse without hurting the hilled-up 

 crop ; and the ridges may be kept clean by light hoe- 

 ing or raking, after cutting. Or a double harrow, 

 composed of two sections hinged in the middle, and 

 of sufficient width, may be used in two-horse form 

 to work astride the ridges. After the cutting season 

 is over the ridges should be plowed down and flat 

 cultivation given until the growth of tops prevents. 

 (This ridging or blanching method is quite common 

 among market gardeners, but the level-culture 

 method given in the foregoing paragraphs is often 

 preferable for the small home-garden — and either 

 method is better than the 

 old way of growing aspar- 

 agus in ''beds.") 



Marketing asparagus : 

 An asparagus ''buncher" 

 (see picture) is a great 

 , , help to me in getting 



AN ASPARAGUS BUNCHER IS , ^ , , ° 



HELPFUL bunches ready for sale.. 



