August  24,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
159 
the  two  best  antidotes  against  the  effects  of  drought  and  burning 
sunshine.  If  food  and  moisture  are  in  the  ground  the  roots  will  go 
down  in  search  of  it,  and  having  found  it,  the  Peas  will  last  longer 
than  by  any  artificial  aid  from  the  water-pot.  A  wide  trench,  two 
spits  deep,  a  coat  of  manure  spread  on  the  bottom  and  worked  in, 
another  betwten  the  top  and  second  spit,  and  you  have  a  reservoir 
for  the  plants  to  draw  on  when  the  earth  is  parched  and  the  sun 
pitiless. 
Something  can  also  be  done  in  the  way  of  selection  of  sites  for 
Peas,  as  there  is  no  need  to  say  how  much  better  the  crop  is  lasting 
where  the  medium  is  moist  and  retentive,  and  where  partial  shade  is 
afforded,  than  where  the  rows  are  exposed  to  every  glare  of  sunlight 
and  the  soil  is  dry  and  shallow.  And  lastly,  if  the  water  is  given,  do 
not  forget  the  mulching  to  conserve  the  moisture  in  the  ground.  I  am 
of  the  opinion,  however,  that  it  is  a  mistake  to  use  the  watering  can 
in  the  kitchen  garden  in  preference  to  the  spade.  Water  is  an  untold 
blessing  at  times,  and  fortunate  are  the  gardeners  who  have  an  un¬ 
limited  supply ;  but  it  should  never  be  forgotten  that  a  storehouse  of 
food  and  moisture  can  be  provided  in  the  ground  itself  by  digging 
deeply  and  manuring  freely. — G. 
RAISING  AND  GROWING  ASPARAGUS. 
Having  of  late  received  more  inquiries  than  usual  on  raising  and 
growing  Asparagus,  and  two  yet  unanswered,  a  portion  of  Mr. 
George  Norman’s  practical  paper  on  the  subject,  in  the  July  issue  of 
the  “Journal  of  the  Boyal  Horticultural  Society ”  (an  enlarged  and 
excellent  issue),  will  not  be  unacceptable.  Mr.  Norman  also  refers  to 
forcing,  but  the  citation  is  confined  to  outdoor  culture,  as  follows : — 
The  chief  districts  in  England  famous  for  growing  Asparagus  are 
Cambridgeshire,  Worcestershire  (especially  the  Evesham  district).  Essex 
(about  Colchester)  and  in  the  Thames  Valley  near  London.  The  best 
home-grown  outdoors  Asparagus  that  is  sent  to  Covent  Garden  Market 
is  produced  in  these  districts. 
In  Scotland,  the  south-western  parts,  comprising  the  counties  of 
Ayr,  Wigton,  and  Kirkcudbright,  are  specially  favourable.  The  soil  in 
many  places  is  a  rich  sandy  loam,  and  the  maritime  situation,  together 
with  the  influence  of  the  moisture-laden  atmosphere  from  the  Gulf 
Stream,  have  a  very  beneficial  effect.  Its  cultivation  is,  however, 
almost  entirely  confined  to  private  gardens. 
On  the  cultivation  of  Asparagus  in  Scotland,  it  may  be  here 
interesting  to  quote  from  a  paper  on  the, supply  of  vegetables  to  the 
Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  markets,  read  before  the  Scottish  Horticultural 
Association  by  Mr.  J.  Scarlet  of  Inveresk.  He  says,  “There  is 
practically  no  Asparagus  grown  in  Scotland  for  market.  English, 
French,  and  Spanish  have  ousted  home-grown  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  one  or  two  growers  who  used  to  bring  anything  like  a  quantity 
have  discontinued  its  cultivation.  This  is  due  probably  more  to  the 
lateness  of  the  home  crop,  compared  with  that  of  other  countries,  than 
to  any  unsuitableness  of  soil  or  climate.” 
Soil. 
Bich  sandy  soil  of  good  depth  is  naturally  the  best  adapted  for 
Asparagus,  and  in  such  soil  its  cultivation  is  an  easy  matter.  But  in 
these  days,  whatever  the  nature  of  the  soil  of  a  garden  may  be,  the 
cultivation  of  Asparagus  is  looked  upon  as  an  absolute  necessity, 
and  the  fact  is  often  lost  sight  of  that  if  the  soil  be  of  a  clayey  nature 
and  shallow,  the  produce  under  such  conditions  cannot  possibly  bear 
comparison  with  that  from  a  soil  naturally  suitable  for  the  growth 
of  this  plant.  With  labour  and  materials  at  command,  heavy,  clayey 
soil  may  be  in  time  brought  into  a  light,  porous  condition  by  the 
addition  of  sand  of  the  best  kind  procurable — sea,  river,  or  grit,  sandy 
deposits  from  drains,  road  scrapings,  burned  earth,  and  lime,  brick, 
and  rubble  from  old  buildings,  all  these  are  excellent  for  rendering  soil 
permanently  porous. 
Whatever  the  soil  may  be,  leaf  mould,  peat,  light  fibrous  loam,  old 
hotbed  material,  seaweed,  and  farmyard  manure  (especially  that  from 
cows),  I  have  found  to  be  the  best  fertilisers.  The  last  named  is 
practically  indispensable,  for  the  soil  can  scarcely  be  too  highly  manured, 
as  good  quality  depends  on  quickness  of  growth,  which  is  assisted  by 
ricbn  ss  of  soil. 
Deep  Culture. 
Asparagus  is  a  deep-rooting  plant.  Frequently  after  doing  away 
with  old  beds  I  have  found  the  soil  permeated  with  roots  to  the 
depth  of  30  inches  ;  consequently  in  preparing  the  soil  for  planting,  it 
should  be  made  30  inches  deep  by  trenching,  adding,  and  mixing  in 
the  materials  already  named,  from  the  bottom  to  the  surface  as  the 
trenching  proceeds,  in  quantities  as  required  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  soil.  The  advantages  of  deep  trenching  and  increased  depth  of 
rooting  medium  are  that  the  roots  descend  so  that  they  do  not  suffer 
so  much  from  want  of  moisture  in  dry  seasons,  and  it  also  assists  the 
free  percolation  of  water  in  wet  seasons.  For  although  Asparagus  is  a 
seaside  plant  it  will  not  thrive  in  stagnant  ground,  and  if  the  subsoil 
is  of  a  clayey,  impervious  nature,  insufficiently  drained,  this  defect 
must  be  remedied  by  agricultural  drains,  put  in  before  doing  the 
trenching,  or  a  layer  of  a  few  inches  of  old  brick,  rubble,  or  cinders 
will  form  an  effective  drainage  if  placed  at  the  bottom  at  the  time 
of  trenching. 
In  considering  the  situation  of  the  ground,  the  best  is  that  with  a 
slight  fall  to  the  south,  well  sheltered  on  the  side  whence  come  the 
prevailing  winds.  For  climate,  the  southern  parts  of  the  country  are 
the  most  favoured. 
Varieties. 
Asparagus,  like  other  things,  to  be  in  the  fashion  must  be  large; 
size,  which  does  not  sacrifice  quality,  is  due  to  soil,  cultivation,  and 
situation,  and  not  to  any  special  varieties,  as  there  is  believed  to  be 
but  one.  “Bed  Topped ”  or  “  Dutch,”  and  “  Green  Topped,”  and  the 
names  of  places  famous  for  its  cultivation,  have  been  given  to  supposed 
varieties  of  it;  but  variations  in  size  and  in  colour  are,  m  my  opinion, 
due  entirely  to  the  circumstances  under  which  it  is  grown. 
Raising  and  Manipulating. 
The  month  of  March,  when  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  dry  is  the 
best  time  to  sow  the  seed,  thinly,  in  drills  an  inch  deep,  the  drills  a 
foot  apart,  at  the  rate  of  £  oz.  to  15  yards  run  of  drill. 
The  trenching  of  the  ground  should  be  completed  in  autumn,  six 
months  before  the  time  for  planting,  so  that  the  ground  has  time  to 
settle,  and  in  March,  when  it  is  in  a  suitable  condition  to  work  on,  tho 
surface  should  be  forked  over  and  made  even,  after  which  it  will 
become  friable  and  settled  by  planting  time. 
Asparagus  is  a  plant  that  is  amenable  to  transplanting,  providing 
it  is  done  at  the  right  time,  and  reasonable  precautions  taken  not  to 
let  the  roots  become  dry.  When  the  shoots  are  grown  to  a  length 
of  3  or  4  inches  is  the  best  time  to  transplant,  but  the  young  shoots 
had  better  be  longer  than  this,  then  transplant  before  the  vital  powers- 
have  become  active. 
Permanent  Plantation. 
Some  growers  continue  the  old  raised  beds,  and  some  have  intro¬ 
duced  the  level  plot  system,  adopting  it  from  the  French;  but, 
whatever  the  system,  the  rows  should  run  in  the  direction  of  north 
and  south. 
I  have  tried  various  modes  of  planting.  The  one  I  have  found  the 
best  and  most  expeditious  is  to  cut  out  a  trench  with  a  spade  by 
the  side  of  a  line,  6  inches  deep,  and  slanting,  in  the  same  way  as 
for  laying  Box.  The  roots  should  then  be  spread  out  quickly,  and 
carefully  covered  with  soil,  leaving  the  crown  of  each  plant  about 
2  inches  beneath  the  surface.  Care  should  be  taken  to  separate  the 
plants  so  as  not  to  have  two  crowns  where  there  should  be  but  one. 
After  planting,  a  good  watering  should  be  given  to  settle  the  soil,  and 
further  waterings  must  be  given  as  often  as  required,  according  to  the 
weather,  until  the  plants  are  well  established. 
Distances. 
The  distance  apart  of  the  plants  depends  on  the  system  followed. 
Both  have  their  peculiar  advantages.  The  bed  system  is  the  one 
generally  employed,  and  it  is  the  best  where  the  soil  is  shallow  and 
the  subsoil  is  of  a  cold,  clayey  nature ;  but  where  the  soil  is  light 
and  rests  on  a  dry  subsoil  the  plot  system  is  the  best,  particularly  in 
dry  seasons. 
A  width  of  5  feet  for  a  bed,  and  feet  alley  between  beds,  is 
very  suitable  for  the  growth  of  the  plants  and  for  carrying  out  the 
necessary  work  in  the  different  ,  seasons.  Three  rows  are  planted  in 
each  bed,  one  in  the  centre  and  one  on  either  side,  leaving  18  inches 
between  them.  The  distance  between  the  plants  in  the  rows  should 
be  21  feet. 
With  the  plot  system  the  distances  between  the  rows  should  be 
4  feet,  and  18  inches  between  the  plants  in  the  rows. 
These  distances  by  seme  may  be  considered  unnecessarily  wide, 
but  they  are  not  so,  for  if  good  results  are  to  be  obtained  the  plants 
must  have  room  for  the  tops  to  fully  develop  without  crowding.  The 
French  give  even  more  space  than  this — they  allow  4  feet  from  row 
to  row,  and  3  feet  in  the  rows. 
One-year-old  plants  are  much  the  best ;  if  older  they  do  not  trans¬ 
plant  so  well.  Some  recommend  the  sowing  of  seeds  in  the  permanent 
beds  or  plot;  by  so  doing,  the  ground,  according  to  my  experience,  is 
occupied  by  it  one  year  unnecessarily,  as  one-year-old  plants  do  equally 
well. 
Dressing  and  Manuring. 
During  the  season  of  planting,  besides  watering,  attention  to 
weeding  is  all  that  is  required.  In  the  autumn  or  early  winter,  after 
the  tops  are  dead  and  cleared  off,  a  dressing  of  decayed  manure  should 
be  spread  on  the  beds,  a  stake  driven  in  the  corner  of  each  bed,  the 
sides  marked  off,  and  about  3  inches  of  soil  from  the  alleys  placed  over 
the  manure  ;  or,  in  the  case  of  the  plot,  the  manure  is  dug  in  between 
the  rows.  About  the  same  time  in  each  year  afterwards  a  dressing  of 
manure  or  seaweed  is  required  to  be  dug  in,  and  the  surface  left 
rough.  In  the  spring,  before  the  shoots  begin  to  push,  the  surface 
