1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
547 
WHEN TO FERTILIZE ASPARAGUS. 
The Feeding of Deep-Rooting Plants. 
On pag« 502 I find an inquiry from H. C. C. M. as 
to fertilizing asparagus in Fall, which, with the re¬ 
ply there printed, moves me to make some remarks. 
I grow asparagus in a limited way—about three- 
quarters of an acre—and the question of proper time 
to fertilize has been given considerable attention, 
theoretically and practically. I had supposed that 
plant food taken through the i-oots had to undergo a 
P^ange—a sort of digestive or assimilative process 
in the leaves—before it could be utilized by the plant 
in making tissue. If I am correct in this, it follows 
that fertilizer applied to asparagus in Spring can as¬ 
sist growth but little so long as the young shoots are 
kept closely cut, as the plant carries no foliage by 
which to elaborate the tissue from the crude food. I 
think all plants other than annuals store up in roots 
or bulbs a supply of nourishment for producing 
growth the following Spring, and the first growth is 
made by the expenditure of this stored-up food al¬ 
ready prepared the previous season. Watching the 
growth of shrubs and trees in Spring I have noticed 
how rapidly the young shoots push 
at first, but soon they come to a stand¬ 
still, and after a short rest resume 
growth. I suppose the first growth is 
from stored-up food, then a pause un¬ 
til the new leaves prepare more food, 
when growth begins again. Aspara¬ 
gus has very large heavy roots, which 
hold stored, ready prepared, much 
material for growth. It is at the ex¬ 
pense of this material that the as¬ 
paragus harvest is produced. Rea¬ 
soning thus I have applied in Spring 
a fertilizer containing potash and 
phosphoric acid, with some nitrogen; 
and when the cutting season is over 
1 give a good dressing of nitrate of 
soda. Once in three or four years a 
dressing of stable manure in Autumn 
over the rows is used to keep up the 
supply of humus, and to keep the soil 
light. Such has been my practice, 
and my reasons for it, and my success 
has l>€en such that no better “grass” 
goes into market. 
In your remarks replying to H. C. 
C. M., you speak of asparagus being a 
deep-rooting plant and time being 
needed to get the fertilizer down to 
the roots. Did it ever occur to you 
that the great roots away down in the 
earth gather little if any food, but act 
as storehouses and coiduits for foo 1 
gathered by the little feeding rootlets 
with their mouths near the surface? 
Such I think is the fact. My experi¬ 
ence has led me to the conclusion that 
no plants gather much food in com¬ 
mon soils at a depth of more than 12 
inches from the surface. I have dug 
holes two or more feet deep, filling 
the l)ottoms with manure and com¬ 
post, and set in them grapevines, and 
within 10 feet of them set other vines, 
only making a hole large enough to 
put the roots in, and one did no bet¬ 
ter than the other. I once plowed in 
a heavy dressing of manure, 10 Inches 
or more deep, and never could see 
much benefit from it until it was 
plowed up again two or three years 
after. The roots of trees run some¬ 
times many feet into the ground, but 
I do not think they go there for food; they go for 
anchorage and water. When building my present 
dwelling house 1 had occasion to excavate a dry 
gravelly knoll to a depth of six to seven feet. Roots 
of elm trees growing near spread near the surface 
with their fine rootlets. Occasionally I found a 
branch starting from the underside of a larger root 
and going perpendicularly downward. Those roots 
were straight stems, almost without branches. At one 
place, 70 feet from the nearest tree, I traced such a 
root six feet down, and at that point it was about five- 
eighths inch in diameter, not much less than where 
it left the horizontal root near surface. When cut at 
six feet depth water oozed from the part left, but the 
time was dry, and surface roots showed no such 
moisture. Is it not a fair inference that the function 
of that root was to get drink? Several years since 
our farmei's’ club assigned subjects to the different 
members for investigation. To one man. was given 
the question at what depth to place fertilizer to grow 
sugar beets Vith best results. It was placetl at vary¬ 
ing depths from surface to eight or 10 inches down, 
and the nearer the surface the better the result. By 
surface I do not mean on the surface, but worked into 
it. From all my experience and observation I have 
concluded that plants feed only where air circulates 
and moisture is present, and that the supposition that 
deep ixKxting plauts bring fertility to the surface from 
the subsoil is erroneous. Manure, to be of value to 
the plant, should be near the surface. m. morse. 
Massachusetts. 
R. N.-Y.—^The experience of a practical man is 
worth any amount of theory, but it should be borne 
in mind that stable manure requires an appreciable 
interval of contact with the soil before the plant food 
is rendered available. If applied when cutting ceases, 
and prolonged dry weather should ensue, the chances 
are that much valuable time would be lost. While 
Mr. Morse’s contention that plants feed chiefly by 
means of their surface rootlets as undoubtedly cor¬ 
rect, the fact remains that asparagus is comparative¬ 
ly a deep-rooting plant, not sending its feeding roots 
as near the surface as most others. If soluble chemi¬ 
cals like nitrate of soda are used it is good judgment 
to make the application at the beginning of active 
growth, when the cutting season closes. As the cut¬ 
ting season for asparagus has been practically short¬ 
ened one-half by the advent of the rust the matter 
NEW “WHITE” BLACKBERRY, ICEBERG. 
See Ruralisms, Page 550. 
Fig. 243. 
becomes of less importance than heretofore. New 
Jersey growers of long experience prefer to haul their 
manure on the beds when the ground is frozen, as 
the work is easier and the beds less cut up. 
THE FARMERS’ MUTUAL TELEPHONE. 
How to Start in Business. 
A RURAL SYSTEM.—We are just completing a 
mutual telephone system in our town and the sur¬ 
rounding country for five miles out. I often receive 
letters of inquiry as to the best method of procedure. 
Farmers are more self-<helping than formerly. They 
take contracts for bridge and pike construction and 
other work. In telephone construction they are both¬ 
ered by technicalities of legal procedure, and forms 
and regulations. In many places, however, they are 
learning to build telephone systems, and are saving a 
heavy amount (near 40 per cent) on their'hioney. At 
the rate systems are being installed it will not be 10 
years before almost every enterprising community will 
be using the ’phone. We have figured it out this way; 
If stockholders will associate together and take $20 
stock each, buy their own instrument and put up and 
maintain the plant at cost, they will have a perma¬ 
nent investment of $30 or $40, which will bring them 
a free ’phone service. We find that our system will 
cost us about $100 a mile besides the cost of the in¬ 
struments. In the rural lines we shall have about 
four to the mile, and the thicker-settled town sub¬ 
scribers will average it to about five to the mile of 
line. TTie line is put up of White cedar poles with a 
good switchboai-d, and the system will be as perfect 
as the Bell lines. Our ’phones cost $13 each and it is 
expected that a farmer can talk with ease to Chicago 
or Cincinnati. 
PAYING EXPENSES.—Our sources of income are 
three. First, we shall charge toll of 10 cents for 
everyone using the line if not a subscriber, even if 
one’s nearest neighbor. It is fair, since he is out 
nothing for the line or instrument. One subscriber 
objected, and said that if bis neighbor should want 
to call the doctor he would go clear to town for him 
if necessary. We said that that was no reason why 
the man should not pay 10 cents for a service worth 
perhaps $1, and if you are so generous you can pay 
the 10 cents for him, or let the ’phone stand and go 
to town for h*m. We are not supposed to be inter¬ 
ested in the friend; let him pay for 
the service. Second, we receive a re¬ 
bate of 25 per cent on all matter go¬ 
ing out from our switchboard to out¬ 
side points over the New ’Phone Com¬ 
pany’s lines. Third, we shall charge 
a rent of $12 a year on all ’phones 
furnished to those not subscribers, 
and $6 a year for all non-subscribers 
who buy their own instruments. 
These three sources of income will, 
we think, pay all expenses and let 
the stockholder have a free service 
for his investment. 
HOW TO START.—A few of us had 
seen something of the work else¬ 
where; met several times and pre¬ 
pared articles of association. These 
must contain certain conditions de¬ 
scribed in “An act concerning the or¬ 
ganization and perpetuity of volun¬ 
tary associations,” which will be sent 
by the Secretary of State on applica¬ 
tion. These articles of association 
should be written on good paper, 
large enough to hold the names of all 
stockholders. A copy should be kept, 
since the original will be filed at the 
office of the Secretary of State. They 
must give the name of the corpora¬ 
tion, the amount of capital stock of 
the same, the number of shares into 
which it is divided and the amount of 
each share, the object of the associa¬ 
tion and its plan of work, the name 
and address and amount of stock of 
each stockholder, the principal place 
of business, the term of life, the de¬ 
scription of the corporate seal, the 
manner of election of directors and 
their number, together with the 
names of those who will manage its 
affairs the first year. After writing 
out the above articles we secured 
subscribers up to $1,000, and then 
called a stockholders’ meeting and 
organized and proceeded to elect five 
directors. We also designated what 
lines should be built. The directors 
must organize within 10 days and 
elect a president, who may be super¬ 
intendent, and a secretary and treas¬ 
urer; both offices may be filled by 
one man. As soon as our stockholders’ meeting ad¬ 
journed we had the said articles acknowledged by 
seven stockholders before a notary, and forwarded 
them at once to the Secretary of State for filing. 
WHY ORGANIZE.—I would not advise organiza¬ 
tion by association merely, because the advantages 
of incoriiorating are considerable. First, it gives 
business method and recognition and credit. Second, 
it relieves one of any liability for damages or debts 
which shall exceed twice the amount of stock. That 
is, if I have $20 stock I cannot be hurt more than $40 
at most. We had an example in this State where 
farmers associated and each put up his native poles 
and his own wire. After a while the x)oles became 
sap-rotten and the wire came down, and the system 
was worthless. A wire got across the highway and 
jerked off a buggy top, causing a runaway. This was 
followed by a suit which resulted in $800 damage. 
Not being incorporated, each one was liable for the 
whole damage, with no relief. Had they been incor¬ 
porated the line would not have been everybody’s 
buSine.ss, and would 'nave been valuable and safe, 
and the liabilities would have been small. 
q’he system cost a little more than we estimated, 
but we also used a little better material. We paid 
$150 for a 100-drop switchboard with 40 drops in¬ 
stalled, when we expected at first to secure one much 
cheaper. k. u. collins. 
Central Indiana. 
