1044 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



have treated one half of each plot (including the dunged plots) with salt. 

 On the chemically fertilised plots the salt has been applied in each case 

 to the half-plot which receives no potash. The potash sown on the 

 other half of each chemically manured plot is given in the form of 

 kainit, which contains a good deal of salt. The quantity of salt used 

 is 2 cwt. per acre on the salt plots, while the kainit on the potash plots 

 is at the rate of 4 cwt. per acre. 



For the first three crops nitrate of soda was used at the rate of 1 cwt., 

 2 cwt., and 4 cwt. per acre. Since 1899 the quantity on the respective 

 plots has been increased to 2 cwt., 4 cwt., and 6 cwt. per acre, and was 

 as much as 8 cwt. per acre on the plot to which no dung is annually 

 applied. 



The value of an acre of Asparagus is dependent upon three different 

 factors : firstly, the number of shoots or bundles cut from it ; secondly, 

 the size and weight of the shoots ; and thirdly, their quality. A " bundle " 

 of Asparagus, it may be observed, consists of 50 shoots, and is the ordinary 

 unit of the market. 



All of these three factors — numerical quantity, weight, and quality — 

 are not necessarily controlled by the system of manuring. The Asparagus 

 on our beds is cut every day during the season by an experienced gardener, 

 who cuts each shoot just when it is in full condition for market, the shoots 

 cut from each of the beds being at once placed in a separate receptacle, 

 the respective contents being forthwith counted and weighed. The judg- 

 ment of the grower has to be exercised, however, towards the end of the 

 season in deciding how many shoots shall be left uncut on each crown 

 to grow and form the foliage by which the plant carries on its life and 

 builds up its strength to send up the shoots of next year. Sometimes 

 it may be desirable to leave more shoots on one plant than on another. 

 In order to preserve the bed in good condition, the grower must exercise 

 his discretion in this regard as well as he can ; but he may obviously 

 under-estimate the strength or vigour of one plant or crown, or he may 

 over-estimate that of another, and leave to one crown fewer shoots than 

 he should and to another more than he need. The exact number of 

 shoots, however, cannot very easily be regulated. It follows that the 

 quantity of Asparagus cut for market on one bed may for these reasons 

 be more or less than that cut on a neighbouring bed ; and this will affect 

 the numerical yield of bundles per acre. Moreover, the number of shoots 

 left on any particular crown may well influence the vigour and vitality of 

 the plant as a whole during the growing season in such a way as to affect 

 the number of marketable shoots that may be thrown up for cutting 

 during the next season. Although every care is exercised to treat the 

 beds as uniformly as circumstances will allow, there is nevertheless 

 necessarily considerable variation in the number of shoots left to form 

 the above-ground portion of the plant ; and this must have a large 

 influence on the mere question of the number of bundles produced by 

 any bed in an individual season. 



Furthermore, as has been already stated, some of the plants failed 

 owing to drought in the early history of the plots, and had to be sub- 

 sequently replaced by new ones; so that the average age of the plants 

 onjall the plots is not quite the same. 



