ON THE CULTURE OF ASPARAGUS. 
23 
nasus. It belongs to the Linnaean class and order Hexandria 
Monogynia , and to the natural order Asphodelce. It is indi¬ 
genous to Britain, and is found on gravelly or sandy soil, situ¬ 
ated near the sea. It is also common on the shores of the north 
of Europe ; and in the south of Russia and Poland it is eaten by 
the cattle as grass. Like many other of our vegetables it has 
a very different appearance when cultivated from what it has 
when seen in its wild state. It has been in cultivation for an 
unknown period, not in Britain only, but over the continent of 
Europe, and in many parts of America. 
The sort of asparagus at present most generally grown is known 
under the name of the Giant; but whether this is a variety 
or sub-variety of some other kind, or has been so named from 
having been grown in a situation favourable to excessive growth, 
I am not positively prepared to state. I think, in common with 
all the other so-called varieties, enumerated in the seed cata¬ 
logues, it has originated under the latter circumstances. 
Propagation by Seeds.— Where a great quantity of aspa¬ 
ragus is forced, it is requisite that there should be sowings and 
plantations made annually. The ground where the seed is to 
be sown should be in an open situation, and the soil of a light 
description, well enriched with some vegetable matter; and if 
sandy, so much the better. The seed should be sown in drills, 
at such distance apart that the roots of the plants in one row 
will not get intermixed with those of the others : the seed 
should be covered to the depth of one and a half or two inches. 
I recommend the month of April as the time of sowing ; but 
the earliness or lateness of the season is in this, as in many 
other things, a good instructor. The reason why I recommend 
the seed to be sown in drills is, that it is preferable to its being 
sown otherwise, for the plants can be much more easily lifted, 
and with less damage done to the roots. The only care seedling 
asparagus requires during its first summer’s growth is to keep 
it free from weeds ; and when its growth is matured and well 
ripened, to cut it over close to the earth, and cover the drills 
with decayed leaves or other vegetable matter. In this state 
the plants must remain till the following spring : if then wanted 
for planting, the covering must be taken from them, and the 
plants carefully lifted; if not wanted till they are two years old, 
they must remain where they are; and after the covering is 
removed let there be a little fine soil thrown on the top of each 
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