THE ASPARAGUS. 



667 



regular manner. If sea-weed has not been laid on along with the dung at 

 the winter dressing, a sprinkling of salt, or of wood ashes, or of both, may 

 be scattered on the surface of the beds ; and over this a layer of tree 

 leaves of the last year, half decomposed, or of dry litter, may be placed, in 

 order to blanch the sprouts. In dry weather, water should be supplied 

 abundantly, either by means of liquid manure in the alleys, or clear 

 water poured over the beds. Nothing more is required till the asparagus 

 is fit to gather, which in the climate of London is about the end of April, 

 and it lasts till midsummer, when its place at the table is taken by green peas. 

 In the neighbourhood of London, soil from the alleys is laid over the beds to 

 a considerable thickness in spring ; so that the shoots are obtained blanched 

 to a great length ; but there is very little tender at the top, in consequence 

 of the shoots having to grow so long before they get through so great a thick- 

 ness of soil, much woody fibre being, as before observed (1481), formed 

 during its progress. 



1483. Gathering. — To suit the taste of some persons, asparagus should be 

 so far grown as to become green, but in general it is preferred more or less 

 blanched, that is, when the shoot is three or four inches above the surface 

 of the soil, with the terminal bud close and plump. In some parts of the 

 Continent each particular stalk is blanched by putting a wooden or earthen- 

 ware tube, eighteen inches long, and one inch in diameter within, over it ; 

 and at St. Sebastian the beds are covered, before cutting commences, to the 

 depth of eight inches with dead leaves, which effects the same object, and 

 keeps the soil moist. The last mode well deserves to be adopted in this 

 country, as well as that of watering abundantly during the gathering season. 

 In young plantations, gather only the largest stalks for two or three weeks, 

 and then permit the whole of the others that may be produced to run to 

 flower ; but in plantations in full vigour, gather all the stems that appear, 

 whether large or small, for a month or six weeks, or till the time fixed on 

 for leaving off gathering. If, instead of gathering all the stems, some are 

 allowed to nm to flower while the gathering is going on, but few more stems 

 will be sent up from the root, and these weak on account of the main force 

 of the sap being spent in the flowering stem. To ensure large stalks, gather- 

 ing should not be continued longer than the middle of June ; or if continued 

 tUl the end of the month, no cutting should take place the following year. 

 It must be constantly borne in mind that the stalks of the coming year, 

 culture and other circumstances alike, depend on the number of matured 

 stalks with healthy leaves of the present year. In gathering, first scrape 

 away a little earth from the shoot ; then cut it off" within the ground, with 

 a narrow sharp-pointed knife, or small saw, nine Laches long (fig. 41 in 

 p. 138) ; thrusting the knife or saw down straight, close to the shoot, cutting 

 it off^ slantingly, about three inches below the surface, and taking care not to 

 wound the younger buds advancing below. The shoots are next sorted and 

 tied in bundles of between two and three inches in diameter, and in that 

 state sent to the kitchen, or to market. 



1484. Culture after gathering. — The alleys, being no longer required for 

 walking in to gather the asparagus, are now richly manured and planted 

 with cauliflower, which, under ordinary circumstances, will be all gathered 

 by the time the winter dressing commences. The beds require only to be 

 kept clear of weeds, and the plants to be stripped of their blossoms, as these 

 expand ; exceptmg such as may be required for producing seed. ^Vhere the 



