280 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
stools were so large that I could just span across the crowns, mine 
being a large, agricultural Teutonic hand. They were cut back to 
about three feet, and carefully planted in rows eighteen inches apart, 
the plants the same distance in the rows, and so regularly opposite 
each other as to form rows across the bed, for convenience of hoeing, 
the beds now being six feet wide. On the day of writing this 
(August 16), the job is just completed, and the hands are busy 
giving the plants a good watering, after which they will be slightly 
moulded up with half-rotted grass-mowings and grit from the rubbish 
yard. There is a great lot of surplus plants left in the old beds: we 
shall leave them for the present, and in due time lift them for forcing, 
and when we have taken their succulent shoots, they will be thrown 
away. In the spring of 1874 we shall have a grand supply of green 
asparagus as thick as the thumb of the largest-thumbed agricultural 
labourer. Our mode of growing asparagus, it will be seen, is scarcely 
more costly than the ordinary growing of parsnips and carrots ; and 
as asparagus is altogether profitless if regarded as food, the less we 
invest in asparagus-beds the better, provided, of course, that we 
secure by some means a first-rate sample, for spindling sprays and 
“ sprew ” rubbish should never be recognized as fit for admission to 
a Christian household. 
Good old garden soil will grow asparagus well with very mode- 
rate manuring. Clay is the worst soil for the plant, and rich, well- 
drained sandy loam the best. It loves sand, and stones, and salt, 
and alkaline manures ; but if the beds be of good texture, deep, well 
drained, and somewhat sandy, there is no occasion at all for extra- 
vagant manuring ; therefore, a poor man who loves asparagus may 
grow it to his heart’s content, in spite of the absurdly-elaborate 
directions of the books. It is a wild weed on the sandy and rocky 
shores of these islands, and therefore can “ pick up a crust ” in a 
comparatively poor country^. 
To raise a stock of plants, sow seed in March in drills one foot 
apart, and one inch deep. In the following spring transplant them 
to the beds, when they are growing freely, taking advantage of 
showery weather lor the operation. Put them out a foot apart 
every way, unless the ground is particularly well adapted for aspa- 
ragus, in which case put them eighteen inches asunder everyway. 
In common wuth all other plants, asparagus will pay for manure and 
water where these can be provided in plenty, but if either of them 
are costly articles, the cultivator is advised to make his mind easy 
and leave his asparagus-beds to take care of themselves to a very 
great extent. A thin sprinkling of salt may be put on the beds 
once a month from Pebruary to July ; but we prefer to use a heavy 
dressing in March, and a-done with it for the season ; and we thus 
secure crops equal in weight and quality to those of our neigh- 
bours, who are always in a fuss and perspiration about asparagus ; 
and, in fact, better every way than is secured by some of them. In 
I'act, the asparagus-plant is overfed and humbugged to almost as 
great an extent as the grape-vine : we could not hope to say more 
with a view to obtain for it simple and reasonable treatment. As 
a rule, the best time to transplant is March and April, and seed-beds 
