554 Commercial Asparagus Cultivation. [oct., 



nightly intervals, commencing with the springing of the 

 heads. The latter manure has a wonderful effect in hastening 

 growth and development, and induces tender, succulent shoots 

 and a. delicate flavour in the produce; it also encourages 

 healthy buds on the crowns for another season's work. 



Sour soils need liming; on these and also on light sandy 

 soils 8 cwt. of basic slag may be substituted for superphos- 

 phate ; this must be applied not later than the beginning of 

 March. Guano or sulphate of ammonia is often used in 

 place of nitrate of soda, the former being especially useful 

 where basic slag is used. Fish meal and dried blood are 

 also employed rather extensively in some districts. No 

 feeding is required during the first year after planting, but 

 established beds are best manured with dung every 

 year in June or July, after cutting has been completed; this 

 annual dressing assists in preserving the retentiveness of the 

 soil, especially where it ranges on the light side ; it also main- 

 tains fertility and keeps the land in good heart. Salt has been 

 largely replaced by kainit, which contains about one-third of 

 its weight of common salt; this constituent, however, is not 

 of much use except on poor or light sandy soils. Both 

 salt and seaweed may only be used on such soils. When 

 making spring applications of manure, special attention 

 should be paid to its thorough incorporation with the soil ; 

 it must be forked in as deeply as possible without injuring the 

 roots ; otherwise it will prevent the spring sunshine warming 

 the soil, and so delay the growth of the plants. 



Seeds and Sowing. — The berries are gathered in the 

 autumn, when quite ripe, and carefully preserved until the 

 following spring. Seeds are sown in a nursery bed in March 

 in drills 9 inches apart, and when the seedlings are a year 

 old they are liftecl and planted in rows from 3 to si f eet 

 apart, and 1 foot apart in the rows. Hoeing is practised 

 between the rows during the first year whenever weeds make 

 their appearance. Some advantages may be claimed for the 

 practice of sowing the seeds in good ground, wherein the 

 plants are to grow and establish themselves permanently, for 

 these sowings always form the most robust, permanent, and 

 best cropping plants. The plants are not likely to appear 

 until fairly warm weather sets in ; hence little danger need be 



