850 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



a year, and the pleasant house dinners which are held once a month on 

 one of the R.H.S. Tuesdays form delightful little reunions of a small 

 band of ardent garden lovers, whose one wish is that others would come 

 in and enjoy these evenings as much as they themselves do. At most of 

 the house dinners a short paper is read on some horticultural subject, and 

 a general discussion ensues, as gentlemen sit over their nuts and port, or 

 coffee and cigars, as best they like. All is very informal, very homely, 

 but, as Sir John said recently, I have spent some of my pleasantest 

 evenings in London at this club." So we think many others would find 

 it, if they would but join. " But how can we join ? " Well, write to 

 E. T. Cook, Esq., care of R.H.S. , 117 Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.,. 

 and you will learn how. The club too serves as a most useful adjunct ta 

 the R.H.S. For the Society has no convenient means at its disposal for 

 offering the compliment of hospitality to any foreigner of horticultural 

 tendencies who visits our not too hospitable shores, and this defect the 

 club supplies, for if any foreigner of any distinction in the gardening 

 world visits the R.H.S. at any time, the club is always ready and willing 

 to offer hospitality and give a hearty welome. At present the club barely 

 numbers ICQ members, all told ; we should indeed be pleased if 100 more 

 who read this very commonplace note would at once enrol themselves. 



On Aspauagus Growing. 



The old method of making Asparagus beds was really a most expensive 

 operation, as the soil had to be excavated to a considerable depth, and 

 replaced with fresh loam mixed with copious supplies of farmyard 

 manure and other ingredients. Fortunately less expensive methods are 

 now adopted, and with equally good or even better results, as the 

 Asparagus does not require an elaborately prepared root run, but simply- 

 good drainage and a fairly porous soil. Stagnant water about the roots 

 is absolutely fatal, and consequently drainage, either natural or artificial, 

 is of the very utmost importance. After having, therefore, first made 

 sure that any surplus water can pass away freely, the soil should be dug- 

 18 inches deep ; and if light, a dressing of marl or even of good clay, 

 together with cow manure, wall assist in making the soil more dense and 

 retentive. If, on the other hand, the soil should be heavy, strawy manure, 

 road scrapings, burnt garden refuse, or even sifted coal ashes, are all 

 useful in making the soil more porous and warmer. On most soils the 

 operation of preparing the site for the new beds is best done in the 

 autumn, leaving the surface as rough as possible for the weather to act 

 upon it. Early in April beds may be made, 5 feet wide, with an 18-inch 

 alley between. This size of bed will allow of a centre row of plants, with a 

 row on each side of it, 18 inches from the centre row, and 1 foot from the 

 margin of the bed, the plants being 2 feet apart in the rows. Two very 

 important points are (1) not to plant until the plants have commenced to 

 grow, and (2) not to allow the roots to become dry between the time they 

 are received from the nursery and the actual planting. In planting, the 

 roots ought to be spread out evenly in all directions, and immediately 

 covered in with soil ; and should the ground be at all dry, a thorough 

 soaking of water is advisable as soon as ever the bed is finished. 



