42 
JOl^RXAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
brick, rubble, or cinders will form an elective drainage if placed at the 
bottom at the time of trenching. 
In considering the situation of the gi'ound. the best is that with a 
sHght fall to the south, well sheltered on the side whence come the pre- 
vailing winds. For climate, the southern parts of the country are the 
most favoured. 
Asparagus, like other things, to be in the fashion must be large : size, 
which does not saciifice qualitv, is due to soil, cultivation, and situation, 
and not to any special varieties, as there is beUeved to be but one. " Eed 
Topped " or •'Dutch,"' and " Green Topped. ' and the names of places 
famous for its cultivation, have been given to supposed varieties of it : but 
variations in size and in colour are. in my opinion, due entirely to the 
circumstances under which it is grown. 
The month of March, when the surface of the ground is dry. is the 
best time to sow the seed, thinly, in drills an inch deep, the drills a foot 
apan. at the rate of h oz. to 15 yards run of drill. 
The trenching of the ground should be completed in autumn, six 
months before the time for planting, so that the ground has time to settle, 
and in March, when it is in a suitable condition to work on, the surface 
should be forked over and made even, after which it wiU become friable 
and settled by planting time. 
Asparagus is a plant that is amenable to transplanting, providing it is 
done at the right time, and reasonable precautions taken not to let the 
roots become dry. When the shoots are grown to a length of three or 
four inches is the best time to transplant, but the young shoots had better 
be longer than this, than transplant before the vital powers have become 
active. 
Some growers continue the old beds, and some have introduced the 
plot system, adopting it from the French : but, whatever the system, the 
rows should run in the direction of north and south. 
I have tried various modes of planting. The one I have found the 
best and most expeditious is to cut out a trench with a spade by the side 
of a line, six inches deep, and slanting, in the same way as for laying box. 
The roots should then be spread out quickly, and carefully covered with 
soil, leaving the crown of each plant about '2 inches beneath the sm-face. 
Care should be taken to separate the plants so as not to have two crowns 
where there should be but one. After planting, a good watering should 
be given to settle the soil, and further waterings must be given as often 
as required, according to the weather, until the plant? are well 
estabhshed. 
The distance apart of the plants depends on the system followed. Both 
have their pecuhar advantages. The bed system is the one generally 
employed, and it is the best where the soil is shallow and the subsoil is 
of a cold, clayey nature ; but where the soil is light and rests on a dry 
subsoil the plot system is the best, particularly in dry seasons. 
A width of 5 feet for a bed, and 2^ feet alley between beds, is very 
suitable for the growth of the plants and for carrying out the necessary 
work in the different seasons. Three rows are planted in each bed, one 
in the centre and one on either side, leaving 18 inches between them. 
The distance between the plants in the rows should be 2^ feet. 
