41 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
GENTLEMAN, Ai'KIl 19, 1359. 
eminently injurious. By attention to these little matters we are 
enabled to have Asparagus in succession from November till 
May ; supplying, in the month of December, 2U0 heads a-day for 
weeks together. When placed in frames for forcing, the roots 
are covered six inches deep with sifted leaf mould. 
We are not, in a general way, behind our neighbours, the 
French, in gardening matters; and if we had their climate we 
should much excel them : but wo have, undoubtedly, much to 
learn from them in forcing Asparagus, as the beautiful bundles 
ol it we see in Covent Garden Market abundantly testify. 1 was 
much surprised in October, 1357, to see, in the shop of M. Jarriu i 
(the Solomon of Paris), maguitioont bundles of a beautifully ! 
green colour, from eighteen inches to two feet long; and this, too, 
at a period when the plants could securely have gone to rest 
quietly in our country. 
In the gardens of the Palaces at Versailles and Fontainbloau, { 
the forcing of this vegetable is carried on to a great extent for 
the supply of the Imperial table. 'There is abundance of good i 
ground, most extensive ranges of pits, and no end of manure j 
—the dung of two hundred cavalry horses being at their disposal. 
This appears somewhat marvellous, but is nevertheless true; and 
the gardens seem to be a mass of rich humus. In such a place 
wo may coneeivo that Asparagus is “at home.” It is planted 
iu rows three feet six inches apart, and two feet apart in the rows, 
plant from plant. There it is left, and the next autumn receives 
another heavy dressing; thus getting only two years’ cultivation 
instead of three—its superior progress being assisted by the 
climate and the richness of the soil. 
At the lime when the autumnal dressing of manure is forked 
into the beds, a foot of soil is taken from the alleys and super¬ 
imposed upon the beds; and this operation, performed twice, 
gives two l'cet, or more, for receiving hot dung for forciug the 
plants. Now, they put upon each bed rows of small wooden 
boxes with lights, which preserve the young and tender grass 
from inclement weather, while they admit to it abundance of 
light. Having a considerable depth of soil to come through, the 
Asparagus is long and white, and is called Asjperges blanches; 
t he Asperges vertes being produced from yoimger roots forced 
in a frame. 
It has long been fashionable in gardening periodicals to extol 
the use of salt as a manure for Asparagus. This I believe to he 
a mere nostrum, having repeatedly tried it by salting some of my 
rows, and leaving others unsalted ; and then being forced to the 
conclusion, that there was no appreciable difference between the 
sailed and the unsalted plants. That, if persevered in, it destroys 
weeds, I admit, and also that it is prejudicial to slugs, &c.; but 
that it had any effect on the luxuriance of my plants, 1 flatly 
deny. Hut this might have been owing to the soil having in it 
an abundance of saline matters, from the heavy manuring which 
it had received for several years. 
There may be soils, which are deficient in some inorganic and 
saline matters, in which it may assist in building up the vegetable 
fabric, and to such soils an addition of saline principles may be : 
useful; but to such as are already amply supplied with them, 
the addition of common salt is certainly not a sine qua non. 
The springing up of the Asparagus reminds me that this ' 
delicious vegetable is now in full season. Those who have be¬ 
stowed good culture on their plants will now be rewarded by 
fine produce. Those who are less fortunate may at once com¬ 
mence operations by heavily manuring and deep trenching of the 
ground. 
1 cannot illustrate in a more forcible manner the richness of 
soil required for growing Asparagus well than by referring to the 
land rented by Messrs. Myatt, of Deptford, than which I know 
of none more replete with manure. 
Having learned much of their Asparagus culture during my 
visit to Paris in 1857, in order to be, as I thought, quite an 
fait, I purchased a French treatise, announced as “ Asperge 
Culture, Nalurelle et Artijicielle.” Par Leisel, Direcleur cles 
Jardins de Marquis de Clermont Tonnere, et Membra de la 
Societe Rationale d ’Horticulture de Paris. I was pleased at 
having purchased this book ; but upon reading it, which I did 
immediately after, I was thoroughly disgusted at the too-appa- 
rent book-making, the vanity of its author, and his constant 
tautology. There was very little practical information; being 
apparently made, like Peter Pindar’s razors, “ to sell.” 
I find that M. Leisel recommends sowing the seed one year, 
transplanting the young plants the following spring,and then giving 
them two seasons’ good cultivation—forcing them in ground un- 
mamired by merely putting small frames over them, with dung 
linings in the alleys. Two years’ culture in the climate of France 
must be equal to three in this country, and the more powerful sun 
must scud (lie roots to rest sooner in the autumn ; thus enabling 
them to bo forced, as I saw them in October, when our beds wero 
still green and growing. When I saw the beds of Asparagus at 
Versailles they were a perfect mass of Chickweed, with the alleys 
as neatly raked as the beds of a trim ilower garden. There I 
would caution my amateur readers not to imitate monsieurs; for 
it entails endless labour, and robs the ground of the rich food 
which the Asparagus should have to itself. 
It lias often occurred to me, that it would be a great advantage 
if we could have a retarded supply of this splendid vegetable. 
Of course, this must be furnished at the expense of ruining the 
bed, and would not suit the amateur; hut, in large gardens, how 
valuable would Asparagus be in July and August; hut such, as I 
have just said,* would involve the loss of a bed. I think it might 
be produced in this way, allowing the first shoots to grow up 
for some time without cut ting, and then cutting it all down close ; 
after which it might receive a good portion of liquid manure, and 
would, probably, yield a quantity of Asparagus. 
There are certain garden crops which seem to be dependent for 
their excellency, for their succulency, and crispness of flavour, 
upon their rapid grow tli; and this cannot be produced but by the 
agency ofliberal investments of manure. Asparagus is one of these. 
When grown in poor ground, it is tough and wiry ; but when in 
rich soil, it is tender and delicious. So, also, with Celery, the 
peculiar nutty flavour of which is much enhanced when grown in 
a solid spit of rotten muck; and so, also, with the Cauliflower and 
Cabbage. 
In the case of farming, limits appear to he set in manuring for 
crops. Tlicro is a certain mark, or point, of condition, beyond 
winch it is not profitable to go ; but the gardener, whose produce 
is enhanced by its luxuriant grow th and tender tissue, can rarely 
use too much manure, in reason. 
The Asparagus plants seed most copiously, and the seedling 
plants become troublesome weeds in the beds. Considering how 
much the energy of every plant is directed towards fulfilling the 
object of its reproduction, it might be well not to allow the plants 
to perfect the seed, by gathering the young berries, and not allow¬ 
ing tho plants to waste their energies in its production, but 
allowing them to treasure them up for the production of the 
young shoots.— Henuy Bailey, Nuneham. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
QUEEN STOCKS TO BE SUCCEEDED BY GERMAN 
ASTEKS. 
“ I have a large circular bed filled with Queen Stocks just 
coming into bloom ; when over, I iutend filling the bed with 
German Asters. Should I get a better bloom of Stocks next 
year by leaving the present plants where they are, or by raising 
fresh plants ?”— Kate. 
[If you could make sure of the Stocks surviving the winter, 
and the plants are blooming now for the first time, you might 
have a fine display next season : but there is an uncertainty. If 
your Stocks are not very thick in the bed, what would you say to 
pruning them pretty well in when done llowering—forking some 
good, rotten dung in amongst them—and then bringing your 
Asters, with balls, from an intermediate bed, and filling up 
according to your taste? The shade would not do tho Stocks 
much harm, uulcss tho Asters were planted very thick. You 
would then see how many of your Stocks would stand at Mid¬ 
summer.] 
VINES IN POTS NOT FRUITING WELL. 
“ I have a small house filled with pot Vines, all Placlc Ham- 
burghs. They are three years old. They were started the be¬ 
ginning of the year. They have all received the same treatment. 
Nothing can look more healthy than they do ; but only two 
Vines out of the lot are fruiting well—the rest have but one or 
two bunches each. I do not use liquid manure ; but the Vines 
had a lop dressing of good manure soon after they were started. 
Can you tell me the reason why I have not a better crop?”-—M. 
[As the Vines are looking so healthy, and we presume all the 
buds broke freely, that is a sure sign that the present management 
has been all right. The mere giving or withholding manure 
