494 



Asparagus Growing in France. [nov., 



gives an excellent account of the method of growing asparagus 

 in France, which may be compared with the description of 

 asparagus growing in Brunswick which was given in a recent 

 number of this Journal {]mQ, 1906, p. 154). 



Whilst there are districts and soils to which asparagus is 

 particularly suited, it is possible to establish successful asparagus 

 beds by proper care and attention on any soil which is not wet 

 or impermeable. Light soils are, however, most suitable. 



The plants may be raised from seed by sowing from May to 

 June in good rich soil, well manured in advance, in rows from 

 8 to 10 in. apart, lightly covering the seed with soil. The 

 seedlings should be thinned to about 2 in. apart and at the 

 end of a month the weaker plants should be removed so as to 

 leave a space of about 4 in. between each. During the rest 

 of the summer and autumn, they should be watered abundantly 

 when necessary and the surface kept loose and friable, great 

 care being taken not to damage the roots. Plants treated in 

 this way will be ready for planting out the following spring, 

 and are likely to give equally good results as two-year-old 

 roots. 



In forming the asparagus bed, preference should be given to 

 light soils, but if heavy we-t land has to be used it should be 

 thoroughly drained so as to sweeten it to a depth of 2 ft. to 

 2 ft. 6 in., and every effort made to improve the surface soil by 

 mixing with it sand, leaf-mould and road-sweepings. In Argen- 

 teuil and other localities round Paris, the experience of the 

 growers who have brought the cultivation of asparagus to a high 

 degree of perfection, seems to show that the best results may be 

 obtained by manuring and improving the superficial layer of 

 soil in which the asparagus grows, less attention being given to 

 the lower layers where the roots have but little natural tendency 

 to descend, if abundant nourishment is obtainable at the surface. 

 The necessity for trenching more or less deeply depends on the 

 character of the soil, but the points on which success principally 

 depends are the admission of warmth to the root and an abund- 

 ance of plant food. The root must be placed in a little hollow 

 and only covered with a moderately thick layer of soil during 

 the growing season, when that is absolutely necessary in order 

 to obtain sufficiently long stalks. 



