444 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
thrives well in pure sand, if well manured, and comes there 
earliest to perfection. 
The plants should be set as soon as vegetation begins to 
move in the spring, care being taken to disturb the roots as 
little as possible. Avoid weak plants or those having many- 
thin shoots. 
Plant in rows (two in each bed), the plants being about half 
a yard apart and alternated, the rootstock about an inch below 
the surface. When, later on, the plants are covered with earth, 
they should be about 10 inches deep. 
In the middle of June go through the beds, and plants 
that have made no growth should be removed and replaced by- 
strong ones. This may be done up to the middle of July. 
Keep the beds well weeded and hoe lightly between the roots ; 
water occasionally the newly planted roots, the established ones 
will not need it. 
Remove the withered foliage in November, spread 3 inches 
of short dung or compost, and cover it with about 2 inches of 
earth from the ridges. 
Before the Asparagus begins to shoot in the second year, 
cover with the earth from the sides so that beds and ridges 
are now on a level. In June, look through the beds and 
again replace plants that have failed, planting the new ones 
as deep as the old ; but, so as not to overload the roots, 
leave a hollow over them at first, and mark with a stick in 
order that you may remember to spare them in the first cutting 
of the ensuing year. 
In the autumn, dress again with manure. 
In the third spring cover the beds again with soil, so that 
the beds are now about three inches higher than the ways 
between. 
The beds should now be about 39 inches wide, and the gang- 
ways a foot and a half. 
If the plants have grown well, a cutting may be made in the 
third year. Cut before tlie shoots have pierced the soil ; the 
earth will be raised and loosened sufficiently to indicate where to 
seek the Asparagus stalks. In cold weather cut once a day, in 
warm weatlicr twice, so that the Asparagus m;iy be fresh and 
white ; when coloured it is not so highly esteemed. 
Tlie length of stalk most prized in Ih'unswick is about 
