| . 1 Apri, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 257 
present for several trenches in which the young plants, once planted, there 
would be no further opportunity to app’y the manure in such an advantageous 
place” ; it was also considered necessary to use much manure every autumn 
to bank the beds in order that the crowns should not be injured by the 
winter’s frost. These applications, especially that given prior to planting the 
young crowns, nade the outlay so great, and that for so many years before any 
return would be received from the bed, that only small plantings were possible 
to those who were without considerable capital. 
Although asparagus is still heavily manured, the amount now used is 
much less than was formerly supposed to be necessary, only about double the 
quantity ordinarily used upon root crops, such as potatoes, beets, &e. 
It is not a good practice to put manure in the bottom of the trenches or 
furrows when setting out the crowns, because it is demonstrated to be rather 
a waste of manure than otherwise, and besides the roots of asparagus thrive 
better when resting upon a more compact soil; nor is it necessary that the 
soil should contain great amounts of humus or be in an extremely fertile con- 
dition when the plants are first put out, since by the present system of top- 
dressing a moderately fertile soil soon becomes exceedingly rich and equal to 
the demands which the plants make upon it. 
Considerable improvement is produced in the mechanical condition of the 
soil by the use of stable manure upon beds. By the addition of humus, 
porous sandy soil is made somewhat more binding, and its ability to take up 
‘and retain moisture thereby increased ; while, on the other hand, cold heavy 
soils are made warmer and more porous. Lierke, in his work on Orchard and 
Garden Culture, says: “On ‘ raw’ ground it is necessary during the first years 
to give heavy applications of stable manure, but later, when there is an 
amelioration in the condition, this may be omitted.” In another place he 
remarks: ‘If one has but a limited amount of manure, it is best to properly 
manure only a portion of the field each year, and arrange so that each portion 
may be so treated every two or three years.” 
All organic manures are suitable for use on the beds; but care must be 
exercised in the use of any of these lest they be too hot and injure the plants, 
especially if applied directly to the roots and immediately over the crowns. 
Where the young shoots come up through it, fresh hot manure is likely toe 
produce rust or to render the shoots unsightly, and thus injure their sale. 
Especially is this true in light, sandy soils. 
The practice of adding to such manurial materials of the farm as stable 
manure, vegetable compost, &ec., single commercial manurial substances that 
will enrich them in the direction desirable for the particular crop to be raised 
does not yet receive that degree of general attention which it deserves. In 
the case of asparagus, an addition of potash in the form of muriate or sulphate 
of potash, or of phosphoric acid in the form of fine-ground South Carolina or 
Florida soft phosphate, &c., will in many instances not only improve their 
general fitness as complete manure, but quite frequently permit a material 
reduction in the amount of barnyard manure ordinarily considered sufficient 
to secure satisfactory results. 
An average of several analyses of barnyard manure :— 
Constituents. Per cent. Lb. per ton, 
Moisture ... “ae 0 a 67:00 ... .1,840°0 
Nitrogen ... “0 on n° 52, an 10°4: 
Potassium oxide ... an 9 0 06 eee 11:2 
~ Phosphoric acid ... see on *39 tH 78, 
