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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 24, 
PLANTING ASPARAGUS IN FALL 
Would there be any advantage in planting 
asparagus roots this Fall ? 
I have always planted asparagus in the 
Spring, but have seen some planted in the 
Fall which seemed to grow fully as well 
and the growers claimed they gained more 
than six months’ time of growth in that 
way, though 1 have doubts about it, and 
would just as soon plant in the Spring, 
during the first week in April if the season 
will permit of working the soil. 1 he ear¬ 
liest planting always makes the best 
growth the first year, and has very few 
missing crowns. For Spring planting plow 
the land now if possible, 11 or 12 inches 
deep if you have the soil, and at the same 
time turning under as much good stable 
manure as the plow will cover. If some 
manure does show over the top after plow¬ 
ing don’t worry about having put too much 
on. The rust is bad in our field this Sum¬ 
mer; the tops are turning brown now. 
Crown Point, Ind. L. C. b. 
I would not set asparagus roots in the 
Fall. I have lived nearly all my life 
among practical asparagus growers, and I 
fail to recall a single instance where the 
planting was done in the Fall. If it were 
done in early Fall, it would have a ten¬ 
dency I think to start into growth the dor¬ 
mant buds, these to be caught later by hard 
freezing and killed. This would naturally 
weaken the plant. Again, the crowns or 
plants are set about six inches below the 
natural level. Should this be done in Fall 
the row or furrow would fill 'during the 
Winter and bury the plants too deep. I his 
would necessitate a lot of extra labor as 
soon as Spring opened, and very early, too. 
Further, it would give opportunity for 
ground to settle and become hard, making 
it quite difficult as well as expensive to 
get soil in proper tilth. I have known 
plants to freeze in seed rows, if Winter 
was very cold and roots were shallow. If 
this will occur where plants are estab¬ 
lished, is it not far more probable that it 
would be worse if plants were recently set 
and not established at all? Throughout 
this whole section Spring planting is the 
only one practiced. In preparing for aspar¬ 
agus select a piece of ground that is well 
drained, and one that has had good ma¬ 
nuring and clean cultivation for a year or 
two previous to planting to asparagus. 
Plow as for other crops, but make it as 
deep as soil and good judgment will per¬ 
mit. If subsoil is hard and compact I be¬ 
lieve subsoiling would be beneficial. 1 he 
asparagus plant is comparatively a deep 
rooter; I have known them to be traced 
over three feet below the surface. Plow¬ 
ing may be done at almost any time, but at 
time of setting plants replow with one 
horse, striking back furrows between every 
row; then make row for plants in each 
dead furrow. Use no stable or yard ma¬ 
nure in rows at time of setting; it induces 
mice to work there, and they will kill a 
good many crowns. Chemical fertilizer or 
a good grade of bone dust, and a little mu¬ 
riate of potash mixed and applied in fur¬ 
rows after plants are set is beneficial; also 
a light dressing or two of nitrate of soda 
through the growing season is valuable. 
To sum up, set asparagus in Spring as 
early as it is possible to do so; don't wait 
till shoots have started. Have ground 
deeply and thoroughly prepared. I fail to 
see any advantage or economy in setting 
in the Fall. Frequent and thorough cul¬ 
tivation is one of the essentials to success¬ 
ful asparagus culture, and this can more 
easily and cheaply be obtained by setting 
in Spring than otherwise. 
New Jersey. c. c. hulsart. 
No; practical asparagus growers in this 
section do not plant in the Fall. Aspar¬ 
agus roots are set six to 10 inches deep 
and covered very lightly at first (say two 
or three inches), the remainder being- 
filled in gradually through the Summer. 
This is done mostly with horse and culti¬ 
vator, scarcely any hand work being done 
the first season. , We find here that roots 
covered lightly set in the Pall winter-kill 
badly, and if covered deeply are liable to 
be smothered, in either case making a 
poor stand, with no advantage as to 
growth. Roots may be planted from April 
1 to July 1, and even later with good suc¬ 
cess, but they must be planted early 
enough to make some growth of tops be¬ 
fore Winter. As to preparation of soil 
for planting asparagus roots next Spring, 
would plow under a heavy coat of stable 
manure this Fall and another in Spring 
if possible, unless the land was rich by 
previous manuring. Do not be afraid of 
getting soil too rich. We find here that 
starved roots are one great cause of rust. 
The next Fall after setting give the bed a 
heavy coat of stable manure; the Spring 
following would use 300 pounds of nitrate 
of soda per acre. After that would use 
stable manure one year and commercial 
fertilizer the next, and the nitrate every 
Spring. E. M. HITCHCOCK. 
Massachusetts. 
In New Jersey, it is far better to plant 
the asparagus roots in the Spring than in 
the Fall. The plants should not be dug 
until they are matured. Sandy land, the 
richer the better, in a.high state of cul¬ 
tivation, is what asparagus succeeds best 
in. Heavy clay ground with stones or 
any other thing will cause the asparagus 
to grow crooked, and interfere with the 
cutting. Asparagus roots should be 
planted deep to get the “grass” white, 
as what is above ground colors soon after 
it has come through. We ditch the fur¬ 
rows out here with a two-horse plow by 
going both ways in the furrow, after it 
has been furrowed with a one-horse plow. 
This work is done in the Spring by all 
practical growers. Plant the roots, cover¬ 
ing lightly with dirt; after they are up a 
little way haul in a little more earth and 
so keep on putting in a little at a time, and 
by Fall the trenches are filled up. This 
method will give the best results, always 
keeping the weeds down. Some use more 
or less fertilizer. E. t. f. 
Middletown, N. J. 
Pecan Questions. 
Ii. A., Archill ion, Ark .—Will the best vari¬ 
eties of paper-shell pecans succeed on bottom 
land in latitude 36? Can one knowing noth¬ 
ing of budding or grafting make it worth 
while to learn if he wants to plant from 
1,000 to 5,000 trees? Does not the Agricul¬ 
tural Department publish some literature on 
pecans? Can buds and grafts be purchased? 
What is the usual yield of a 10-year-old tree? 
If I planted budded trees bow long before 
they would furnish buds and grafts? 
Ans. —The climate of latitude 36 is quite 
good for the more northern type of the 
pecan, but is not entirely suitable to the 
extreme southern type, to which the trees 
bearing the very large and thin-shelled 
nuts belong. From the latitude of Vicks¬ 
burg, Miss., southward is the proper terri¬ 
tory for them, especially in the richest 
alluvial lands that can be found. It would 
not be safe to risk planting the late ripen¬ 
ing varieties anywhere in Arkansas, but 
some of the early ones having thin shells 
will probably succeed. Moneymaker is the 
one that I would expect to do the best, al¬ 
though a few others may do as well. It is 
not likely that one who does not know how¬ 
to bud or graft will make a success of 
growing pecan trees that must be propa¬ 
gated in one or both of those ways. It is 
one of the most difficult of all trees to 
bud or graft, and requires the most skillful 
attention. It would be far safer, and in 
the end cheaper, to buy the trees ready for 
setting from some good nursery, of which 
there are several in the South, that have 
good pecan trees. In no case would I de¬ 
pend on seedling trees, for they are too 
variable and inferior in the character of 
the nuts and bearing qualities. There are 
some publications about pecans issued by 
the U. S. Department of Agriculture that 
may be obtained upon application. Wood 
of choice varieties for budding and graft¬ 
ing can be obtained, but the greatest care 
should be used to make sure that it is true 
to name. Budded or grafted trees would 
yield some wood for budding or grafting 
other trees, without injuring them, in from 
three to four years from setting. The 
probable yield of good budded or grafted 
pecan trees 10 years old in good soil and 
climate and well cared for would be about 
20 pounds each. h. e. van deman. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
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