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THE OARDEMNO WORLD . 
November 12, 1904. 
Asparagus. 
There is no vegetable possessed of so distinguished a lineage 
as the Asparagus. 
Its records date back almost to the beginning of authentic 
history, and it is, mentioned by the poet Cratinus', who died 
abont 425 b.c. 
The Romans held the vegetable in high esteem, and the elder 
Cato wrote a work which is still extant, and which treats at 
length of the virtues and proper cultivation of Asparagus. 
Pliny, in his “ Natural History,” written about 60 a.d., 
observes: “ Of all the products of your gardens, your chief care 
should be Asparagus,” and he devotes several chapter's to de¬ 
scribing its many good qualities and the best method of raising 
it. Be states that thei soil about Ravenna was sof favourable to 
its pr oduction that three crowns grown, in that district had been 
known to weigh a Roman pound. 
This pound is said to be about equal to eleven of our ounces', 
so that four heads would have weighed about a, pound. 
The production of large heads or crowns of Asparagus is 
largely a matter of proper preparation of the ground before 
sowing or planting, though a warm, well-drained soil is, most 
suitable for the cultivation of what may justly be termed the 
king of vegetables. The ground should be well trenched 30 in. 
or more in depth, and good manure liberally incorporated with 
the soil in the process of trenching ; the coarser and rougher 
portions of the manure should be placed in the bottom of 
trench, and the finer or most decayed nearer the top. 
If sea,weed is obtainable it may with advantage be used in 
quantity in the bottom of trench, while horn shavings or 
crashed hones will give staying power to the soil and prolong 
the life and fertility of the plants, if added liberally to the 
lower stratum. 
Where the ground has been previously trenched and 
manured the bottom spit may be brought to the top,, but 
where this has not been done the bottom spit should be left 
there. A good dressing of manure should be given,, however, 
and dug as deeply as possible into the bottom of trench, which 
will enrich and create this poorer strata,. Where the soil is 
somewhat heavy and wet, the bed or site may with advantage 
be raised 6 in,, or 8 in. above the surrounding level ; but if the 
ground is diy and well drained, nothing whatever is to, be 
gained by thus elevating the sit© of the plants. When it is 
born© in mind that both the fertility and longevity of an 
Asparagus plot is largely influenced by the thorough prepara¬ 
tion given in, the first instance, few who desire to- secure good 
and abundant supplies of this vegetable will grudge the labour 
and material necessary to the formation of a good bed. 
Where beds already exist, and new ones are only required to 
succeed those going out of bearing, it will be fully as expedient 
to sow seed where plants are to remain, as, though Asparagus 
transplants quite successfully, there is still a, certain amount 
of risk of loss, besides check to the plants in transplanting, 
which is avoided by sowing on the site where plants are to 
remain. Whether sown or planted, the crowns should not be 
crowded ; 18 in. between the lines and 15 in. between plants 
is non© too, much room. Many beds are rained by cutting too 
early. This exhausts the roots, depriving them of the power 
to make strong summer shoots'. Besides such shoots as are 
permitted to grow are often so weak that they are incapable 
of placing such a store' of strength to, the roots’ account below 
ground as will enable them to produce strong heads in the 
following spring. 
For two years after planting, or three after sowing, no 1 cut¬ 
ting should be permitted, as this militates against future crops 
whether for quantity or quality. 
Tire common practice of placing 5 in. or 6 in. of manure over 
beds dining winter is not commendable, more so where soil is 
of a. heavy or wet, nature. Asparagus is perfectly hardy, and 
to' thus' shut up wet or sodden soil from the influence of the 
weather is not, to my mind, conducive to, good results. I 
prefer to carefully fork the soil between the lines, raising it 
over the crowns' of the plant*, and fill resultant hollow with 
manure. (p p 
An Arizona Cactus Farm. 
A mile south of Phoenix, close to the usually dry channel 
of Salt River, is one of the oddest farms in America,. It is 
planted to nothing but Cactus of ©veiy form found within 
Arizona,. Each kind is cultivated under the same conditions 
that prevail upon its' native heath to a,s great am extent a< 
is possible', and most of them thrive well under the hot skies 
of Southern Arizona, cared for by experts. 
The main ,owner of the farm is Dr. R. E. Kunz, a collegedrred 
German scientist who has taken up the study of the Cacti and 
their cousins as his life work. A physician, he has particularly 
s'tudied the plants for the possibility of securing products 
valuable in medicine. And the utilitarian side has appealed 
to him in, other ways, and lie knows the plants wherefrom 
come good fruit, those that bear good water’ for the thirsty 
cleiserf, traveller, and those useful to the architecture of the 
aboriginal housebuilder. Arizona, has become the source 
of supply for Cactus' for most of the botanical gardens of the 
world, and this demand for plants 'has increased till a lucrative 
industry lias arisen from what would seem to the uninitiated 
one of the most unpromising floral fields of the world. 
The most, promising of the Cacti of the garden is the 
Saguaro. It, is one of the landmarks of the desert. Its large 
white flowers ,cover the end of every branch in April and May, 
toll,owed by a greenish yellow fruit, which, when it bursts, dis¬ 
closes a, scarlet pulp filled with black seeds. This is veiy 
nutritious. 
Another specie® of far greater use, if not attraction, is Cereus 
Thurberi or Pi'taya, of the natives, which was named after 
the' late Dr. George Thurbar. Its northern limit is 115 miles 
from, Phoenix in a 'south-westerly direction, and extends into 
Sonora southward. The flower is white, nocturnal and smaller 
than 'that of the Saguaro. 
The fruit of this species is of delicious taste, and for months 
is the support, of tribes of Indians, who then feast upon it. 
The pulp ,is also dried for future use, and a, syrup, as well as 
an, intoxicating liquor, is made from the fresh fruit. The 
Yaquis, Pa,pa,goes, and Pimas largely subsist on the fruit of 
this Cactus. The stem of this Cactus grows from six to 
twenty feet, high. 
Perhaps the queerest Cactus of all America, isi Cereus 
Creggii, of Arizona, known to Mexicans, as, Jara Matraca. 
Unlike' any other Cactus, it has a, very large tuber in place 
of fibrous roots, and it resembles a great sugar Beet below the 
surface, weighing from two to fourteen pounds. The stems 
are not more than two to four feet high, as thick as a, finger, 
and covered with very short spines. The tuber is medicinal, 
used externally in, Mexico. It is the Arizona, nighhblooming 
Cereus, fragrant, the flower white and large as a, saucer. 
Englemanris Hedgehog Cereu^,, known as Eokinocereus 
Engedmanni, grows in, clumps of from, two to twenty joints, 
having very large brownish white spines from one to one 
and a half feet in height. Its brilliant, rose-coloured flowers, 
very fragrant, appear in April, and by the latter part of May 
are followed by a, crimson, edible berry of the size and flavour 
of a large Strawberry. 
Opuntia, is the prickly Pear family, of which we have many 
species of various colour’s. The flat-jointed bear in some case? 
fine fruit, while the round-branched, often twisted like a, rope, 
have a woody fruit unfit, for food. These are met with on the 
desert, tableland, and mountains. But most of these are 
seen together cultivated on the Cactus farm near Phoenii.— 
“ Los Angeles Times.” 
St. Louis Exhibition, U.S.A.—Mr. Amos Perry, Hardy Plant 
Farm, Winch,more Hill, London, has just received advice from 
the Commissioner General for Great Britain that the Inter¬ 
national Jury of Awards have awarded him, a. Silver Medal for 
his collection of hardy plants in the “Old English Garden,” all, 
with one or two exceptions, of his own raising at Winchmore 
Hill. 
