308 [ ASSEMBLY 
ENDIVE. 
The endive is also a deep-rooting plant. July 28, we examined 
the roots of a plant of the Broad Leaved Batavian variety that was 
forming the flower stalk. One of the leading roots, of which there 
were several, was traced to a depth of three feet, when it became 
too delicate to follow. The branches extend downward at an angle 
of about forty-five degrees, sending out fibers which grow mostly 
upward. We traced one of the longer branches a distance of eight- 
teen inches, when its delicacy prevented following it further. Few 
of the fibers reached nearer the surface than six inches. The prin- 
cipal part of the fibrous roots lay between six and eighteen inches 
deep. 
it appears that the root system of endive is somewhat more ex- 
tensive than that of lettuce, and consequently the plants would seem 
to require more room. It would seem also that both these plants 
must act somewhat like the clover and pea, in recompensing to a 
certain degree their draft upon the soil, by bringing a part of their 
sustenance from a considerable depth. 
SPINACH. 
The root system of spinach is less extensive than that of endive, 
and does not extend so deeply into the soil. July 28 we examined 
the roots of a plant of the Prickly or Winter variety. The deepest 
growing root extended about two feet downward, and the longest 
horizontai roots reached about eighteeen inches. The feeding roots 
seemed chiefly to lie at a depth of about six inches, though many 
fibrous roots rose upward to within two inches of the surface. 
The root was a thickened tap root to the depth of four inches, 
below which, it divided into many branches of varying length and 
thickness. 
It thus appears that the roots of spinach feed largely in the cul- 
tivated soil near the surface, which may account for the fact that it 
responds so freely to high manuring. As the roots extend a foot 
and a half on either side, it is obvious that the rows should not be 
closely crowded. 
ASPARAGUS. 
We are especially interested in examining the root system of 
asparagus, because the growers of this vegetable in the vicinity of 
Paris, who are notoriously successful, maintain that the roots of 
asparagus do not run deep where they have abundance of nourish- 
ment near the surface, and consequently that the custom so common 
in this country of trenching the soil for this crop is a useless waste 
of labor and expense. fortunately for our present purpose, in the 
spring of 1882, we set out a bed of asparagus plants, in one half of 
which we trenched the soil to a depth of eighteen inches, putting in 
a liberal quantity of stable manure. The other half of the bed, also 
well fertilized, was simply forked to the depth of about six inches. 
