CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
217 
hand, wide planting materially limits returns for several 
years, and for this reason there is some tendency to plant 
closer and make new beds more frequently. 
Planting distances vary considerably in different sec- 
tions. In the growing of white stalks, the average spac- 
ing in England is probably 16 inches by 4 feet: in France, 
2x4 feet; in Germany, 3^2 x 4 feet; in the largest fields 
in California, 2 x 9 or 10 feet (on reclaimed land) ; in New 
Jersey, 2 x 5J/2 feet; in New York, about 2x5 feet. I11 
New Jersey green asparagus is usually grown 2 or 2^2 x 
5 feet; at Concord, Mass., 2x4 feet; in Pennsylvania, 
2 x 4 or 4^2 feet. An extensive grower in Philadelphia 
County, Pa., plants 4x4 feet, while an intensive grower 
at Cleveland, O., plants 1x3 feet. Peter Henderson 
recommended 9 inches by 3 feet. 
279. Planting. — Fall planting is occasionally practiced, 
but spring planting is universally regarded better. After 
the ground has been plowed and thoroughly harrowed, 
deep furrows must be made preparatory to setting roots 
or crowns. If the land is steep enough to wash, the fur- 
rows should run at right angles to the direction of the 
slope ; if practically level, north and south will insure the 
most even and perfect distribution of light on all parts 
of the row. The depth of the furrow should be deter- 
mined mainly by the natural depth of the soil. In Amer- 
ica the crowns are set 6 inches to 1 foot deep, but 8 inches 
is considered deep enough, although 10 inches may be an 
advantage. Certainly, the crown should never be set in 
the subsoil, where the fleshy horizontal roots would fail 
to find food or proper physical conditions. Deep plant- 
ing is regarded as important in the production of large 
shoots, but the chief advantage is to get the crowns be- 
yond the reach of tillage implements. As the new buds 
form higher on the crown each year, deep planting, there- 
fore, prolongs the time when there will be any interfer- 
ence by tillage tools : The first shoots will not be quite 
