February 14,1893. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
ASPARAGUS. 
Although so well known and so commonly cultivated it may 
not be amiss to direct attention to this most important esculent at 
this season of the year, I say this season of the year, because to 
anyone intending to plant new beds this is the time to make the 
necessary provision for the work. The Asparagus has been written 
on and discussed so frequently and so well in the past that to 
some it may appear presumption to enter on the consideration of 
the subject again at this time. However, I have a conviction that 
all has not yet been said in its favour that its value and importance 
as a useful and remunerative garden crop entitles it to. 
No one will, I think, dispute the statement that of all vegetables 
grown this is as much, if not more sought after and appreciated 
when in season than any other, and I think it may also be stated 
with equal truth that in the midst of depression and ruinous prices 
for many crops of the garden this article is in the unique and happy 
position of always being in demand and always returning fairly 
remunerative prices. 
It is acknowledged on all sides that our home growers of produce 
for sale, in consequence of the immense and increasing importation 
of fruit and flowers which are placed on our markets from abroad 
almost daily throughout the year, are at their wits’ end to know 
what to grow at a profit. We have not been, and are not now, 
without advisers as to what to grow and what not to grow, and 
more particularly with reference to British hardy fruit, and I am 
hopeful that much good to horticulture and to the country will 
follow the recent discussion in the general and gardening Press, 
and more especially from the recent exhibitions and conferences 
held by the Royal Horticultural Society. But after all that has 
been done, doubts will still exist in the minds of many whether we 
shall ever be able to oust the foreigner from our hardy fruit market 
at home. But there should be no doubt whatever as to our power 
(if we care to use it) to render it unnecessary for him to share so 
largely in the Asparagus supply. 
Better climate favours growers on the continent and handicaps 
us in the production of many fruits ; but not so with Asparagus. 
Here we stand together on more equal terras, as our soil and climate 
are as suitable for the growth of this vegetable as any to be found 
abroad. How comes it, then, that the humiliating fact must be 
acknowledged that more Asparagus is imported, both forced and 
naturally grown, into this country than we grow ourselves ? 
Different people will be ready with different answers to this 
very important question. My impression of the cause, and 
which I respectfully submit, is to be found in the apathy and 
indifference of our growers, and also perhaps to the want of 
inspiration and organisation. Before giving a few details as to 
the inode of cultivating the plant adopted here, I may be allowed 
to point out one or two ways in which I think it would be possible 
to advantageously increase very considerably the growth of 
Asparagus. We hear on all sides of the desirability of supplying 
our rural population with allotment land for the cultivation of 
garden crops for home use, and also if possible for sale. Now, 
what a little gold mine a quarter of an acre, more or less, would 
be under Asparagus in a labourer’s allotment properly tended 
and cared for ; and this would follow very soon after it was 
discovered that the Asparagus bed vied with the cow, the pig, 
and even the orchard in the golden return it is capable of bringing 
to its owner. 
Oh, but many will exclaim. Look at the cost of making an 
Asparagus bed, and look besides at the time we shall have to wait 
before we have any return for our labour and money ! Just so. 
Look also, my friends, at the fact that when you buy a calf how 
long it is before you receive any milk and butter, or if you plant 
an orchard how long deferred your returns often are. The one 
may last you ten years or so and the o'her fifty, but the Asparagus 
bed will go on for ever for anything we know to the contrary if it is 
tended with care and intelligence. I know of one in Bakewell, 
Derbyshire, the property < f the late Mr. William Greave.®, which 
is known to be upwards of 100 years old, and when I saw it a few 
years ago it was in splendid condition. 
As to the cost of forming Asparagus beds and the time it 
takes before returns are obtained, exaggerated and erroneous ideas 
are held by the inexperienced. No doubt the cost in the first 
instance is more than for an ordinary crop, but once let it be 
practically demonstrated to the workman that there is more money 
in his Asparagus bed than in anything else he can produce, depend 
cn it that the little trouble and extra labour necessary to grow 
this esteemed vegetable will soon be overconae, and after all the 
extra expense is chiefly represented by labour, which the workman 
has in his own hands to provide. If this idea, which I hold to 
be quite practicable, could be carried out throughout the country 
among our rural population the increase in the supply of 
Asparagus would be enormous, with a corresponding gain to our 
workmen and their families. 
There is another aspect of this question on which I would 
briefly touch, and which, I think, will appeal with greater force to 
gardeners, and I cannot illustrate what I mean in a better way than 
by referring to the large increase which has taken place of late 
years in the number of small growers throughout the country who 
centre their energy and labour on the growth of specialities for 
market—some Roses, some Carnations ; others Tomatoes, others 
Cucumbers, and so on, and who, I believe, are fairly prosperous. 
Now I trust that there is an equally promising field open in the 
future to the gardener who may decide on making Asparagus 
culture the chief object of his study and industry. 
An industrious man with 4 or 5 acres under Asparagus, well 
cultivated, could make a most comfortable living for himself and 
his family, and that without heavy and laborious toil, for once the 
beds are formed the labour of cultivating and looking after them 
afterwards is light and agreeable work, and is such, indeed, that the 
wife and children, if they were so dispo»ed, could easily perform. 
If in addition to the open beds he could afford to provide some 
heated frame* in which the vegetable could be forced then the 
value of his business would be much increased, as he could be 
cutting from October to July, and in winter there is always a sale 
for Asparagus roots for forcing. 
It may be argued that if grown or multiplied in the wholesale 
way proposed that the supply would soon exceed the demand. I 
do not think so. At present Asparagus is an article of luxury, 
and seldom, if ever, within the reach of the artisan and working 
population, but once let it be offered at a price within their reach, 
the demand would be so great that no supply could satisfy ; and, 
moreover, the article being so portable, and not too perishable, I can 
see no reason why we should not turn exporters of this article 
instead of importers. 
The plant flourishes best in deep rich loam of rather a heavy 
than a light texture, but it will succeed with good cultivation on 
any ordinary well-drained soil. Our beds here are 6 feet wide, 
with a path or an alley between of 2 feet. I endeavour to have 
the beds dug out (one spit deep only) in winter, so that all the 
garden refuse which is collected from day to day, such as Cabbage 
and Broccoli stalks, are carted and wheeled into the trenches. 
This forms an excellent basis to start the beds with, as it answers 
the double purpose of draining and keeping the soil aerated and 
warm for the first year, thus affording the exact conditions necessary 
for the successful growth of the young plants, and afterwards, 
when the vegetable matter is decayed, it affords nourishing food 
for the voracious roots of the fully grown plants. 
The next step to take is to place a layer of manure of the best 
quality procurable (either horse or cow) 4 to 6 inches deep when 
trodden down, on the top of the refuse, and this will bring the 
surface of the bed on a level with the ground ; on the manure 
should be placed from 5 to 6 inches of the soil from the alley, 
and this afterwards raked level and gently pressed down with 
the feet when in fairly dry condition ; the rake should then be 
drawn over it again, and the surface made ready to receive the 
plants. 
For forming permanent beds we plant four rows, 15 inches 
between the rows, and the same from plant to plant. The line is 
stretched down and the plants laid on the surface (not planted) by 
one man, and another follows with a barrowload of friable 
soil and leaf mould. A little of this is dropped on each plant, 
and another man follows, gently treading the soil over the mots, 
at the same time carefully avoiding touching the crowns. This 
operation finished, about 4 inches more soil from the alley is placed 
on the beds, gently trodden down, and levelled afterwards with 
the rake, then all that remains to be done at the time is to edge 
down the side of the beds and finish them in “a workmanlike 
manner.” 
For the first summer after planting we usually sow some 
Lettuce seed thinly broadcast over the beds, and from which we 
obtain most excellent samples ; a crop of Beans or Cauliflower 
is also taken from the alleys the first year. I do not think any 
harm is done by this light cropping the first season, but of course 
after the first year no other crop is taken. 
If the work, which should be carried out during the last week 
in March or the first week in April, has been carefully executed 
as directed, and if the plants used are healthy and strong, they 
will make good progress during the summer. In the autumn 
when the foliage dies down and is cut off, it should be noted 
whether any plants have died or refused to grow, and a stick placed 
wherever there may be a blank, so that it may be filled up 
the following spring. The next season the plants will make 
splendid progress, and the following year, that is two years after 
planting, and three years from seed, a small cutting of grass may 
be made. The next year, the third year after planting, the beds 
