118 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



up with a harrow to a depth of four inches. No care need to be 

 taken about the plants when cultivating at this season of the 

 j^ear, but the whole surface may be cultivated or plowed three 

 inches deep as though no crop was in the land. In the spring 

 the land should be cultivated as soon as it will work well in 

 order that it may warm up quickly. There will be no crop to cut 

 until the spring of the third year; a very little, however, may 

 be safely cut the second year after planting if the plants do well. 

 The cultivation in subsequent years should be very much the 

 same as that given above, but in addition, when the crop has 

 been all harvested and cutting is to cease, which will be about 

 the middle or last of June in the northern states, the whole 

 bed should have a thorough cultivation to the depth of three 

 inches without regard to the rows, and if manure is to be used 

 it should be put on at this time. Under this method of treat- 

 ment it is unnecessary to do much hand weeding, and it is 

 very easy to keep the soil in the best condition by horse power. 

 After the thorough cultivation in June, all the sprouts that come 

 up from the roots should be permitted to grow until autumn, 

 by that time they should be about five feet high if in good 

 soil and will have ripe seed. It is necessary to allow the top 

 to grow to this extent in order that plant food may be stored up 

 in the roots. Very late cutting weakens the growth of the 

 plants. 



Cutting. — When the crop is grown for marketing, it is not 

 desirable to cut the shoots until the third season after plant- 

 ing the roots; however, in the case of small beds in the gar- 

 den where the planter is very anxious to test the fruit of his 

 labor, it may be well to note that no harm is liable to come 

 from a very slight cutting the second season. The sprouts 

 should be cut as they appear in the spring, and all of them 

 should be cut when of the proper size, although they may not 

 be needed at that time. If permitted to grow they interfere 

 with subsequent cutting and prevent the growth of new sprouts. 

 They will also be in the way of cultivation later in the season. 

 The sprouts are generally cut off about two inches below the 

 surface when they are about six inches high above the ground, 

 and in this case all but two inches r*f the asparagus is green, 



