1 Aprin,1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 255 
at least before the planting; and I strongly advise that the ground be scarified 
as deeply as possible up or down the length of the lands, as a last operation 
before planting, with the object of mixing the manure up with’ the soil as 
freely and well as possible, as is always desirable in connection with all 
numerous and deep-rooting plants. When we part from spade culture, it is 
necessary also to separate from the old method of bed-making. In lieu cf 
this, the plants should be grown in rows. The minimum distance permissible 
between the rows is 3 fect. As will be seen below, we advise a greater 
distance under certain conditions. . 
SOWING SEEDS OR TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS. 
As between sowing seeds in drills, to grow and establish the future 
cropping roots, or transplanting seedling plants therein from seed beds 
sown a year or two previously, something can be said in favour of both. One 
or two year old plants give quickest results, and obviate a cropless season or 
two after the first or second year, and the expense of keeping the ground clean 
for that space of time between the young seedling plants whenever seed- 
sowing is practised. On the other hand, seeds sown in good ground, wherein 
the plants are to grow and establish themselves permanently, always form the 
most robust, endurable, and best cropping plants. Not only do the roots 
resent being dug up and broken, but they are rarely replaced in their new bed 
in the positions they previously occupied, which is more important than may 
be imagined. The fact is their future connection with their ground abode is 
an artificial one, and they lose their primitive grasp of the soil. 
TIME FOR SOWING. 
The proper time for sowing the seed is between ‘the middle of 
February and the first week in April,* and it should be done as far as 
practicable in fine, dry weather. No damage from spring frosts exists 
in connection with early sowings, as the plants are not likely to appear 
until fairly warm weather occurs, and such inferior seeds existing in the 
samples as rot are best destroyed once for all. Whilst too thick seeding has 
to be avoided, owing to the afterwork of thinning it makes, it is important to 
sow enough to ensure an even plant when thinned out, without having resort 
to transplanting, as, ultimately, the seedling plants have to be thinned to 
12 inches or 14 inches asunder, which is none too thick, considering the space 
between rows the plants have to root in. The customary depth to sow in 
seed beds is 1 inch, but under row culture, where there is not the same means 
_of packing soil over the crowns, the seeds should not be sown less than 2 
inches in depth, to insure that the ultimate crowns are not too shallow. 
A good plan to follow wherever there are opportunities for forcing 
asparagus—a very simple process giving good returns—is to sow the seeds in 
rows 2 feet apart; let the plants all grow until they are large enough for 
forcing, then to dig up every other row for that purpose. This leaves the 
permanent plants 4 feet apart in the rows, under which conditions they 
ultimately succeed remarkably well. © 
OTHER CROPS, é 
It is well to remark here that by this method the whole resource of the 
ground is not devoted to this crop alone, as very superior crops of lettuce, 
dwarf beans, &c., can be grown between the rows. Indeed, the land being 
highly manured, no better position can be found to produce the best-hearted 
midsummer lettuce—however dry the season—from seeds sown in rows where 
they are to produce and carry the plants to perfection, without transplanting ; 
such seeds—of the Paris White Cos section—to be sown late in the month of 
March; such inter-cropping, besides assisting with market returns, tends also 
to keep the ground freer from weeds than it would otherwise be. 
* August to October in Queensland. + September. 
