March 24,1887. ] 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
229 
was within the exemption and should be properly rated on the one-fourth 
scale. His Lordship conside ed this a market-garden. It was a place used 
to garden in, and gardening was a term commonly applied to agricultural 
production of any kind on a small scale. HU Lordship could not see that 
the garden was less a garden because it was wholly or partly under glass, 
or otherwise protected from the weather, or because it had walls or a roof. 
It was still a garden, and in this case it was a market-garden, because it was 
used for producing fruit, flower- 1 , and vegetables for market. 
Mr. Justice Wills was of the same opinion, and the rat: was ordered to 
be amended accordingly. 
CULTURE OF ASPARAGUS. 
As the result of the fine Asparagus annually imported from the 
neighbourhood of Paris the culture of this vegetable has received 
more attention in British gardens during recent years. Asparagus was 
formerly planted much too closely, consequently the roots became 
matted and the shoots small within a few years. Good practitioners 
nowadays set the plants widely apart in deeply trenched and liberally 
manured ground. With regard to the kind of soil most suitable, I 
may say that I have seen first-rate Asparagus cut from plants 
growing in a piece of cultivated bog in Ireland, whilst from planta¬ 
tions made in strong Worcestershire loam enriched with manure, 
at Madresfield Court, Mr. Crump. Earl Beauchamp's excellent 
gardener, secures the most satisfactory results. Mr. Crump grows 
his Asparagus in the new kitchen garden in rows about 3 feet apart 
and the same distance from plant to plant in the rows. Therefore 
the stems of the plants thus grown resembled, in point of 
size, stout walking-sticks when I saw them the end of August last. 
However, as all gardeners cannot afford to give so muen room to 
the plants as Mr. Crump does, I will enumerate two or three suc¬ 
cessful ways of planting Asparagus and leave the readers of the 
Journal to adopt which they please. 
The ground having been previously trenched to a unform depth 
of from 2 to 3 feet, according to its nature and depth, and a liberal 
allowance of good manure incorporated with it in the process of 
trenching, open trenches 5 feet wide and 3 inches deep, leaving 
alleys 2 feet (1 inches wide between them. In these trenches make 
three rows of hillocks a couple of inches high and 3 feet apart, the 
first hillock being made at 3 feet from the end, and those on each 
at 18 inches from the central row and from the end of the trench, 
thereby affording more room to the plants to grow than if they 
were planted opposite to each other. On the hillocks arrange the 
plants, spreading the roots out in every direction, covering them with 
a few inches thickof pulverised soil, afterwards filling up the inter¬ 
vening spaces, and spread on a surface of short dung to the thick¬ 
ness of a couple of inches. In planting, press the soil firmly about 
the roots with the hind, and, if practicable, the work should be 
done in showery weather as soon as the crowns have pushed into 
growth early in April ; otherwise water should be given through a 
rose to settle the soil about the roots. Insert a yard long flower 
stick 9 inches into each mound to which secure the young plants as 
soon as they require support from the effects of wind. 
The second method of procedure is to mark off the necessary 
number of beds 4 feet wide, with alleys 2 feet wide between them. 
Then draw two drills about 4 inches deep at 15 inches from the 
side of the bed, which will give a space of 18 inches between the 
two rows, and in these plant the roots 18 inches asunder in the 
row, taking half of them in one hand and half in the other, with 
th : crown slightly raised ; in other respects treat the plants as recom¬ 
mended above. For the supply of plants for forcing plant in rows 
15 inches apart and the same distance asunder diagonally, so that 
those in the second row' stand anglewise to those in the first, and so 
on with each succeeding row. This method of planting will, as 
already stated, give the plants more room. Should a spell of dry 
weather follow', frequent supplies of water should be given until 
the plants are established. 
Summer and autumn treatment consists in keeping the beds free 
from weeds, and, in the case of established plantations of 
Asparagus, free from seedling plants, which should be pulled 
up as soon as they appear. As soon as the cane-like stems are ripe 
cut them off close to the ground, saving some containing seed, 
suspending them in small bundles and in a dry shed for shelling 
and washing out during inclement weather ; then draw 3 or 4 
inches thick of the surface soil off the bed into the alleys, and 
place on instead a like thickness of the best animal manure at com¬ 
mand. This shou'd be covered with 3 or 4 inches thick of soil 
from the said alleys early the following March, breaking it fine as 
the work proceeds, and afterwards rake over the surface of the 
bed . with a medium-sized iron rake. 
Cutting Asparagus. —This mast be done with care, otherwise 
aln-ge per-centage of the heads will be destroyed before they appear 
thr jugh the soi'. The knife should be w’orked carefully down to 
the base of the stem to be cut, so as not to injure any of those 
uniiveloped surrounding growths. We cut when the stems are 
7 or 8 inches long, the top inch or two (which appears above the soil) 
being green and the remainder blanched ; the heads washed, sized, 
and tied up in bundles, then be stood on ends in saucers containing 
a little water in a cool shed or house till required for use. 
Raising Young Plants. —Sow'the first week in April in drills 
2 inches deep and 12 inches apart, in light, rich, and sandy soil, 
to supply young plants for transplanting the following year in per¬ 
manent beds, and also for supplying plants for forcing w'hen three 
or four years old. Connover’s Colossal is a good variety to grow. 
The seed should be sowm thinly in the drills, the soil closed over 
with the feet, trodden, and afterwards be raked over with an iron 
rake, and the young plants resulting from this sowing should be 
kept free from weeds during the summer and autumn months.— 
H. W. Ward. 
THE PROPOSED GARDENERS’ ORPHANAGE. 
I did not intend so soon again to encroach on your pages in refer¬ 
ence to this subject, but as discussion is asked for 1 venture to supple¬ 
ment my former brief remarks. 
It is gratifying to find that the proposed effort by the gardening 
subjects of Her Majesty is taking practical shape. It cannot be 
anything than becoming the positioii in every gardener to do his 
utmost, not only to prevent Mi - . Penny’s happily conceived scheme from 
falling through, but to make it a success thoroughly worthy of the 
occasion. At the same time the notion must not be entertained that the 
copestone can be laid on it without a united and most determined 
effort. Undoubtedly the greatest difficulties lie in collecting a fund 
sufficiently gratifying and creditable, and not so much in administration 
after it is in existence. The advice to “ first catch the hare,” &c., is 
quite applicable here. 
I hope every gardener will consider it a slight to his better feelings 
if he is not afforded an opportunity of contributing according to what 
he may consider his ability. In order to this the plans adopted to 
bring the matter distinctly under the notice of them, and all interested 
| in horticulture, will require to be very comprehensive if the scheme is to 
| be carried through with the success of which it is worthy. Let there by 
all means be as powerful and influential committees in London, Edin¬ 
burgh, and in Dublin as can possibly be formed, with the London one for 
the heart of the ivhole. These three committees should make an effort 
to have branch committees formed in every county town and in every 
other town that can be looked upon as centres to a district, and an effort 
should be made for visiting every garden in the district, and canvass all 
concerned for their aid. Surely there is some gardener in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of every considerable town who would be willing at least to 
try and form such committees, and these individuals should be appealed 
to by the central committee. 
Then nursefymen personally should be able to use great influence in 
the cause. They, above all, are in constant touch with all horticulturists, 
by correspondence at least, and could without much straining of their 
resources bring the matter before their customers. In collecting for the 
Gardeners’ Institution there was not one nurserymen I appealed to in 
vain, and I think we may fully reckon on their help. Head gardeners 
are in the best position for bringing the cause under notice of their 
employers, and surely nine-tenths of them could venture to do this 
without fear of repulse, to say the least, and in most cases it is to 
assumed with success. There is another class, and a very numerous one 
—too often ignored—that should be earnestly appealed to, and that could 
do very much for the scheme if they could be got to put their heart into 
the work for one week. I mean the under gardeners of the three 
kingdoms. They are personally quite as able, and I think will be quite 
as willing, to contribute their mite and collect, as are very many who 
I hold head gardeners’ situations at not much higher wages, but with many 
I more calls on them. 
Reference has been made by Mr. Goodacre and others to the purchase 
of land and the erection of suitable buildings. This is a matter more 
for subsequent consideration. Rut it ought to be well considered whether 
any such expensive investment should be attempted. We have in the 
Benevolent Institution now a stable and good stock for a sister branch, 
and it becomes a question whether it would not be wiser to administer 
the funds for an orphanage on the same lines as that on which the 
funds of the Benevolent Institution are administered. There are already 
I orphanages and homes for children in thorough working order, and the 
proceeds of the Orphanage fund and its annual subscriptions could be 
directed to the placing of children in these orphanages and homes. The 
two branches could thus be worked together economically, and with far 
less complicated machinery than is necessary for land anil building, Ac. 
— D. Thomson, Drumlanrig. 
I AM pleased to sec by to-day’s Journal that this most deserving 
scheme is likely to meet with a certain amount of support. I hope 
the Committee appointed to work out the details will not be too 
ambitious, for I, like “ D., Deal," am rather afraid that a scheme requiring 
the expenditure of from £25,000 to £30,000, and an annual expenditure 
of some £3000, is more than can be accomplished in these hard times. 
I do not agree with those who would link this to the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Society. Those who advocate this step, and who express 
their surprise at the small proportion of gardeners subscribing to the 
G.R.B.I., must remember that there are other societies equally deserving 
of the ganlencrs’support, such, for, instance, as the United Horticultural 
