ON FARM GARDENING. 20 
matter how carefully the roots may be grown, there will be 
some slight variations in the color of the shoots, for aspara- 
gus does not always come true from seed. Market gardeners 
usually sort their asparagus shoots at bunching time; always 
for size, and sometimes for color, especially when supplying 
a fancy trade. 
As a rule, it is wise to select a variety that will produce a 
good number of large-sized shoots, such as Donald's Elmira 
or Barr's Mammoth, and trust to manure and culture for the 
best results. Quality of shoots depends on quick growth, 
and size depends somewhat on distance of the root under 
ground. The deeper the asparagus root under the surface, 
the larger in diameter will be the shoot, provided the plants 
are not crowded; a fact of which gardeners often take advan- 
tage by heaping soil up over the crowns of the plants during 
the growing season. 
Setting out — The young roots should be set carefully, 
crowns up, at intervals of 1^2 to 2 feet, in the deep furrows 
or trenches heretofore mentioned. A few inches of manure 
can be put in the bottom, covering slightly with soil and 
about 6 inches of soil put upon them. The spaces between 
the rows may be cultivated during the first year, and some 
quick crop grown there. The working of this crop will 
gradually fill up the furrows about the stems of the young 
asparagus, which, during the first year, is quite small and 
insignificant in appearance. By fall, the furrows will be 
entirely filled and the surface of the patch level. The aspara- 
gus slug, the larva of the well-known beetle, may be kept 
down by occasionally dusting with slacked lime containing 
Paris green. The following year the asparagus will show 
up to some advantage, but should not be cut. The third 
year (second after planting) will yield some marketable 
shoots; but cutting should not continue more than two or 
three weeks. The fourth year the bed may be said to be in 
full bearing. 
