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CHAPTER XXIII. 



ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



Asparagus is grown mucli more abundantly and to a mucli 

 larger size in France than it is in England. The country 

 is half covered with it in some places near Paris ; small and 

 large farmers grow it abundantly^ cottagers grow it — every- 

 body grows it^ and everybody eats it. Near Paris it is 

 chiefly grown in the valley of Montmorency and at Argen- 

 teuil, and it is cultivated extensively for market in many 

 other places. About Argenteuil 3000 persons are employed 

 in the culture of Asparagus — at least so I was told 

 by the son of the cultivator who took the best 

 prizes for Asparagus at the Exhibition. His father not 

 being at home,, I traversed a considerable portion of what 

 may be termed the region of Asparagus with this youth, 

 who was of the intelligent type, and understood all about 

 this dainty vegetable. I first saw it growing to a large 

 extent among the vines. The vine under field culture, I 

 need scarcely say, is simply cut down to near the old stool 

 every year, and allowed to make a few growths, which are 

 tied erect to a stake : they do not overtop the Asparagus in 

 any way, but on the other hand the strong plants of that 

 show well above the vines. It was not in distinct close 

 lines among the vines, but widely and irregularly separated, 

 say six or seven feet apart in the rows, and as much or 

 more the other way. They simply put one plant in each 

 open spot, and give it every chance of forming a capital 

 specimen, and this it generally does. When the stems get 

 large and a little top-heavy in early summer, a string is put 

 round all, so as to hold them slightly together (the careful 

 cultivator uses a stake), and the mutual support thus given 

 prevents the plant from being cut off in its prime. We 



