ASPARAGUS. 



19 



question about the importance of maintaining the supply of vegetable 

 matter. It is highly probable that not less than twelve tons of stable 

 manure annually is necessary to provide the soil with the proper 

 amount of humus. A common practice is to apply the manure any 

 time after the tops are cut in the fall and before the first tillage opera- 

 tion in the spring. This is a safe practice in light soils, but on heavy 

 soils the better plan is probably to apply the manure about the first 

 of July or immediately after the cutting season. Heavy applications 

 in the fall or winter may make it almost impossible to harrow the 

 plantation early in the spring, because heavy mulches of manure 

 retain the moisture in the spring and thus prevent early tillage. 

 Heavy applications of commercial fertilizer are undoubtedly essential 

 to the best results. The most successful growers of the country 

 are using from one-half to one ton of a complete fertilizer to the acre. 

 It is possible that the largest returns cannot be realized with less than 

 a ton to the acre of a fertilizer carrying four to six per cent of nitrogen 

 and eight to ten per cent of potash and phosphoric acid. A safe 

 practice is to apply one-half the commercial fertilizer early in the 

 spring and the other half immediately after the cutting season. 

 Some growers contend that it is better to apply all of the fertilizer 

 after the cutting season. This plan is entirely satisfactory, pro- 

 vided there is abundant rainfall after the first of July, otherwise it 

 is better to apply the mineral elements early in the spring, so that 

 they will be well distributed through the soil in case there is a light 

 rainfall after the first of July. Nitrate of soda can often be applied 

 to advantage as a top dressing, using from seventy -five to one hundred 

 fifty pounds at each application. It is often profitable to use as much 

 as four or five hundred pounds of nitrate of soda to the acre. The 

 asparagus plantation should be kept free from weeds throughout the 

 season. Rust is the only disease that gives very much trouble in 

 growing asparagus. x\lthough some spray materials have been more 

 or less valuable in controlling the disease, it is generally conceded 

 that the most practical means of control is to cut the tops in the fall 

 as soon as the leaves begin to turn yellow and burn them. With 

 good treatment, an asparagus plantation will last for twenty -five 

 or more years, but it is not considered desirable to retain the planta- 

 tions more than fifteen years, and many growers destroy them when 

 they are ten or twelve years of age. The shoots get smaller as the 

 plantation becomes older, and this is the reason for making new 

 plantations at short intervals. 



