I ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 505 



consumer's interests. In the green Asparagus there is only 

 the point edible ; in the white it is often entirely so^ and, 

 moreover; it is infinitely more tender and delicate. All 

 Asparagus cut when it is green is not fit to be eaten in the 

 ordinary way, but may be used cut up small as an accompani- 

 ment to other dishes. To serve up green Asparagus is to 

 dishonour the table ! In the markets of Paris the green 

 Asparagus is worth one franc a bunch, when the blanched is 

 worth three francs ; they do not eat it (the green Asparagus) 

 — it serves for the manufacture of syrup of Asparagus, — V. F. 

 Lebceuf.^'' 



When the plantation reaches its fourth year the little 

 mound of blanching earth is increased to fifteen inches in 

 height, for then they expect to cut something worth while, 

 and these mounds are made in the early part of March ; and 

 even after this, as they grow stronger the little mounds are 

 increased j and they always keep a look-out for the feeble 

 plants, with a view to replace them. To have Asparagus as 

 it ought to be, they say you must cut every day, or every 

 two days, according to temperature, so that it may be 

 obtained at the right moment ; indeed if they do not do 

 this, the shoots become too high and too green. They place 

 great importance on obtaining strong and healthy plants ; and 

 in the establishment which I visited they have three kinds, 

 FOrdinaire, La HoUande tardive, improved, and La Hative 

 d'Argenteuil. The first is described as very fine, the second 

 very strong, and the last as the earliest, most productive and 

 best. Of course there are various modifications of the plan 

 described herein, and in several instances I saw two rows 

 placed in a rather wide trench in an alternate manner. As 

 to the size and quality of the Asparagus produced by this 

 method there can be but one opinion. Mr. Veitch and 

 many other English horticulturists, who know what garden- 

 ing is, as well as it is possible to know it, have been, with 

 myself, surprised at it. The same difi'erence holds good 

 in the forced Asparagus — the slender pipe-shank produc- 

 tions of the English forcing-house being miserable compared 

 to it. 



Concisely : the French mode of cultivating this delicious 



