ASPARAGUS 



15 



soil taken from the alleys, so as to form a little hillock about a foot 

 higher than the bed. If the plantation has been carefully attended 

 to up to this time, some shoots may now be gathered for use, but 

 not more than two or three from each stool : however, if it is 

 desirable that the plantation should last for a considerable time, 

 it is better to abstain from gathering any now, and to wait till 

 the fourth year for the first gathering. In any case, it is very 

 important to gather the shoots by breaking them off close to 

 the neck of the stool, and not to cut them in the soil, as is often 

 wrongly done, to the detriment, among other things, of the as yet 

 undeveloped shoots. The best plan is to uncover the shoot to be 

 gathered, by removing the soil of the hillock, and then neatly break 

 off the shoot with the fingers or a special implement, replacing 

 the soil of the hillock at once in its former position. This is the 

 invariable practice of careful cultivators in the neighbourhood of 

 Paris. If, from any cause, portions of shoots are found attached 

 to the stool in autumn, they should be altogether removed before 

 winter sets in. In the open air, in the climate of Paris, Asparagus 

 is gathered in the beginning of April, but it is well not to continue 

 gathering after June 15th, if an abundant and early crop is ex- 

 pected the following year. About London it is ten to fourteen 

 days later, and lasts so much longer. 



In the fourth year, the treatment of a plantation of Asparagus 

 is precisely the same as in the previous years, consisting simply 

 of the necessary hoeing, watering, and manuring. It is not 

 absolutely necessary to apply manure every year ; nevertheless, 

 as the Asparagus is a very greedy plant in the matter of manure, 

 the crop will always be in proportion to the quantity of nourish- 

 ment it receives in this way. A plantation properly made and 

 carefully attended to will continue productive for ten years or more. 



As by the common English way grow, if strong growth and strong 



of growing Asparagus it is impos- shoots are desired. Long experi- 



sible to get a good result, we give ence has taught cultivators that a 



here what are the smaller space than 4 ft. apart will 



^ not suffice to give the very best 



Essential Points in the Produc- result. At first sight people in 



TiON OF Good Asparagus. this country might suppose that 



Although the details of the system this means a waste of ground, but 



of growing good Asparagus require it really is not so. At first, when 



some little space to describe on the plantation is young, waste of 



paper, the essential differences be- ground is avoided by taking a light 



tween that and the system com- crop off between the lines — say, 



monly employed in England are so one of Kidney Beans or of early 



very clear that they may be shortly Potatoes ; but after a good year's 



stated. Each plant is treated as growth, and when the Asparagus 



an individual— as a vigorous subject gets strong, its roots really occupy 



requiring much space in which to the whole space, and the result is 



