102 
JOUUNAL  OF  HuRTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  9,  1899. 
ASPARAGUS  NOTES. 
LIi;.  an  (page  GO)  says,  it  is  difficult  to  write  anything 
new  bearing  on  Asparagus  culture,  and  this  is  no  doubt  true.  Ihe 
same,  however,  ir.ay  be  just  as  correctly  said  of  other  vegetables;  but 
this  is  no  reason  for  apology  on  Mr.  Shalford’s  part,  because  the  routine 
of  so  variable  a  character,  yet  so  clearly  given,  must  be  helpful  to 
the  >ounger  gardeners,  so  many  of  whom  are  readers  of  the  Journal  of 
UorUcidiurc.  It  is  to  young  men  who  have  just  taken  upon  them¬ 
selves  the  reap  usibility  in  the  position  of  gardener,  header  otherwise, 
that  hints  in  vegetable  growing  are  helpful. 
There  is  no  uniformity  of  result,  or  any  one  particular  rule  govern¬ 
ing  tbe  cultivation  of  Asparagus,  but  individual  gardens  require 
treatment  according  to  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  position,  and  there  is 
a  wonderful  and  varying  influence  brought  to  bear  upon  this  vegetable 
from  the  character  of  the  land  alone.  In  light  sandy  soils  with  plenty 
of  manure  it  will,  as  Mr.  Shalford  says,  grow  like  a  weed  ;  in  heavy 
and  strong  land  it  is  just  the  reverse,  except  special  provision  is  made 
for  planting. 
I  well  remember  Mr.  Iggulden,  when  at  Marston,  found  a  difficulty 
in  establishing  satisfactory  plantations  until  he  made  a  special  effort  to 
obtain  the  materials  for  raising  the  beds  to  the  level  of  the  natural 
soil,  a  good  depth  of  drainage  being  the  first  provision.  Although  on 
a  large  scale  it  is  a  laborious  undertaking,  it  is  work  that  is  well  repaid 
in  alter  years,  especially  in  cases  where  they  are  intended  for  use  over 
a  long  scries  of  years.  At  Marston  the  soil  is  of  a  very  heavy  nature, 
the  subsoil  being  stiff  clay.  Planted  in  the  natural  surface  soil,  the  roots 
jierished  to  a  serious  extent  in  winter,  and  frequent  purchases  had  to 
be  made  for  replacing  losses  which  occurred.  The  soil  here  is  neither  so 
wet  nor  heavy  as  at  Marston,  but  some  portions  of  this  garden  are  totally 
unfitted  for  Aspiuagus,  given  ordinary  attention.  Eoots  and  crowns 
decay  to  a  serious  degree,  which  means  thin  beds  and  poor  crops  ;  in 
fact,  the  ground  is  simply  wasted  in  attempting  to  grow  it  under  the 
usual  easy  methods. 
Another  aspect  not  mentioned  by  Mr.  Shalford,  but  which  is  a 
very  prominent  one,  is  presented  in  the  late  date  on  which  cutting 
commences  on  heavy  ground.  It  becomes  disappointing  to  a  degree 
when  jmur  neighbour,  perhaps  no  great  distance  away,  begins  cutting 
heads  in  fair  abundance  several  days  in  advance  of  yourself;  and 
Asparagus  is  avigetable  perhaps,  more  than  any  other,  in  which  the 
first  dish  is  anxiously  anticipated.  Heavy  dressings  of  manure  put  on 
in  winter  and  left  until  the  spring  months  have  well  advanced  are 
fatal  to  early  cutting.  Personally  I  have  no  sympathy  with 
thick  coatings  of  farm  manure  to  be  again  removed  in  spring,  nor  with 
the  cutting  of  deep  alleys  between  the  beds,  shearing  off  the  roots 
and  exposing  the  mutilated  parts  to  the  action  of  wintry  weather. 
Short  manure,  either  in  a  decayed  or  fresh  state,  and  this  allowed  to 
remain,  seems  to  me  more  beneficial  to  the  beds  and  very  materially 
reduces  the  attendant  labour,  and  this  is  a  consideration  that  few  can 
afford  to  lightly  set  aside. 
The  planting  season  does  not  occur  until  April,  but  in  the  interval 
there  is  time  to  prepare  new  beds.  From  now  onwards  there  will  be 
much  refuse  about  tbe  garden  to  be  cleared  away,  and  the  preparation 
for  Asparagus  beds  affords  an  easy  means  of  dealing  with  what  would 
otherwise  be  a  laborious  undertaking  in  a  large  garden.  Throw  out 
the  soil  the  width  and  length  intended  to  a  depth  of  a  foot  or 
15  inches — more  if  the  operator  wish.  This  will  take  a  considerable 
amount  of  refuse  to  fill ;  then  a  good  layer  of  manure,  decayed  or  fresh, 
spread  over  this,  and  the  soil  replaced,  the  bed  will  Ire  elevated  above 
the  surrounding  surface.  The  refuse  and  manure  beneath  will  sustain 
the  plants  for  a  long  time,  and  their  productiveness  will  increase  as  the 
roots  take  possession  of  such  a  good  store  of  decaying  matter.  The 
tend  ■  •  ,ragus  is  to  burrow  deeply,  and  this  explains  pretty 
clearly  why  plants  collapse  in  heavy  soil  not  well  prepared.  In  deeply 
excavated  trenches  tree  prunings  may  be  made  to  serve  as  drainage 
very  effectively. 
I  agree  with  Mr.  Shalford,  that  salt  sometimes  is  too  freely  used  ; 
in  light  soil  its  injurious  effects  may  not  be  so  clearly  seen,  but  on 
heavy  land  it  makes  the  surface  pasty  and  cold.  It  is  a  better 
practice  to  give  a  lighter  dressing  twice,  or  even  three  times  during 
the  summer.  Salt  used  for  bacon-curing  purposes  has  not  much  value 
in  it,  although  it  is  often  purchased  by  growers  in  the  district  where 
bacon  “factories”  are  located.  I  have  tried  it,  and  noticed  that  the 
weeds  simply  revelled  in  it ;  and  salt  that  has  not  sufficient  property 
left  in  it  to  hinder,  if  not  actually  destroy  weeds,  must  prove  an 
unprofitable  investment.  A  smaller  quantity  of  a  good  article  must 
be  an  all-round  advantage. 
In  dealing  with  the  permanent  planting  of  Asparagus  it  is  most 
important  that  the  ground  be  quite  clear  of  perennial  weeds,  such  as 
knotted  or  plain  rooted  Couch  Crass  and  Bindweed,  for  if  these  once 
get  established  among  Asparagus  roots  neither  salt  nor  other  antidotes 
will  exterminate  them.  The  only  course  open  is  to  destroy  the  beds 
and  replant  others  in  fresh  ground.  Under  the  best  conditions  there 
seems,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  no  limit  to  the  age  in  which 
Asparagus  will  remain  productive.  I  know  of  beds  at  the  present 
time  that  have  existed  over  sixty  years,  and  are  still  as  healthy  and 
vigorous  as  ever.  With  generous  treatment  it  w’oild  be  impossible 
to  predict  a  time  when  they  would  cease  to  produce  their  annual  crop. 
These  are  raised  beds  overlying  a  heav}'  clay  subsoil,  and  their  position 
not  so  favourable  as  to  give  the  plants  the  prospect  of  such  a  long  and 
useful  career. — W.  S.,  Wilts. 
FUCHSIA  CULTURE 
The  best  period  of  the  year  has  arrived  for  commencing  the  spring 
culture  of  old-established  Fuchsia  plants.  Medium-sized  and  large 
specimens  do  good  service  during  the  summer  months  in  brightening 
the  conseivatorv  and  greenhouse  with  their  richly  coloured  pendent 
blooms.  The  Fuchsia  is  not  the  best  of  plants  for  affording  cut 
blooms  of  the  most  useful  character,  yet  the  flowers  may  be  cut 
and  employed  for  .some  purposes.  The  true  character  of  the  Fuchsia 
is  as  a  decorative  plant,  whether  it  is  grown  in  pots  or  planted  out. 
Plants  may  be  grown  in  various  ways.  Standards  with  a  head 
of  growth  on  the  summit  of  a  single  stem  are  extremely  useful 
in  a  collection  to  stand  above  dwarfer  plants.  Trained  in  pyramid 
form,  well  flowered  examples  are  certainly  attractive.  They  are  not 
difficult  to  produce  in  this  manner  either  from  seed  or  cuttings.  Less 
informal  plants  also  may  prove  useful,  and  if  healthy  and  free  growing 
they  will  at  the  proper  time  bloom  freely.  Plants  grown  in  tubs  or 
pots  and  traified  on  wires  under  the  roof  can  be  established  perma¬ 
nently,  and  allowed  to  cover  as  much  space  as  convenient  with  several 
principal  branches,  on  which  spurs  may  be  formed,  and  these  have  the 
long  growths  which  issue  from  them  shortened  to  a  few  buds  each  year. 
Fine  plants  can  soon  be  established  if  planting  cut  in  a  border 
be  adopted,  so  that  the  roots  will  have  a  free  ruu  in  good  soil.  Long, 
strong  growths  are  quickly  produced,  and  these  ought  to  bo  laid  in 
at  equal  distances  to  cover  the  space  it  is  desirable  to  furnish.  It  may  not 
be  possible  to  carry  it  out  in  one  season,  but  it  can  eventually  be  done. 
Plants  in  pots  w’hich  have  been  wintering  in  a  cool  frost-proof 
structure,  and  kept  moderately  dry  at  the  roots,  may  now  be  brought 
out,  and  the  growths  pruned  back.  Old  plants  which  have  their  shape 
fully  formed  should  receive  close  pruning,  shortening  the  shoots  to  a 
few  buds.  Those  that  are  less  informally  trained  and  young  plants 
need  not  be  so  closely  pruned,  reducing  the  length  of  strong  young 
shoots  one  or  two-thirds,  and  weak  spray  closely  or  cut  out  com¬ 
pletely.  The  main  thing  in  pruning  Fuchsias  is  to  cut  out  all  unripe 
wood.  So  long  as  this  is  done,  and  no  particular  shape  of  plant  is 
desired,  they  will  succeed.  The  permanent  plants  in  pots  and  borders 
require  similar  pruning,  but  as  a  rule  must  be  fairly  closely  reduced. 
After  pruning  give  the  roots  little  water  until  new  growth  com¬ 
mences,  then  afford  more. 
At  this  time  with  pot  plants  it  is  found  the  best  period  to  shake 
out  the  plants  from  the  old  soil,  trim  the  roots  slightly,  and  repot  in 
fresh  soil  and  clean  pots  of  the  same  size.  The  compost  employed 
should  be  sweet  and  rich,  formed  principally  of  turfy  loam,  leaf  soil,  old 
manure,  and  sand.  The  proportions  may  be  loam  four  parts,  leaf  soil  two 
parts,  old  hotbed  manure  or  well  decayed  cow  manure  one  part,  with  a 
good  sprinkling  of  sand.  Pot  firmly,  but  not  hard. 
It  will  be  an  advantage  if  the  plants  can  be  stood  in  a  warm  house 
and  daily  syringed.  The  soil  being  moist  when  potting  little  water 
will  be  required  at  the  roots  until  they  are  working  freely  in  the  new 
compost.  Permanent  plants  in  borders,  large  pots,  or  tubs  cannot  be 
so  easily  dealt  with  at  the  roots,  nor  do  they  require  it  so  much,  but 
they  may  at  least  have  some  of  the  old  soil  taken  away  from  the 
surface  down  to  the  roots,  and  a  layer  of  fresh  material  added.  Into 
this  a  network  of  young  fibres  will  ramify,  and  benefit  the  growth 
and  flowering  to  a  large  extent.  These  Fuchsias  scarcely  need  so 
much  syringing  of  the  early  growth  as  those  in  pots,  but  when  well 
advanced  an  occasional  thorough  wetting  cannot  but  be  of  service 
previous  to  the  growth  becoming  heavy  and  commencing  to  flower. 
Pot  plants  making  good  growth  wfill  probably  require  additional 
root  room.  This  must  be  decided  by  the  number  of  roots  and  iheir 
activity.  Give  a  free  and  liberal  shift  if  it  is  found  necessary  to 
afford  more  room. 
Young  rooted  plants  in  cutting  pots,  or  established  singly  in  small¬ 
sized  pots,  may  be  potted  in  the  compost  recommended  for  older 
plants.  They  can  be  simply  grown  to  one  principal  stem  and  lateral 
growths  encouraged  to  form,  or  be  pinched  in  order  to  form 
several  growths.  Standards  are  formed  by  taking  up  a  principal  stem 
to  the  height  required,  then  pinch  out  the  top  and  encourage  several 
growths  to  extend,  which  also  may  be  topped  when  long  enough,  so  as 
to  increase  the  number. 
Spring  is  a  suitable  time  to  propagate  Fuchsias.  Strong  young 
growths  starting  from  old  stems  form  very  suitable  cuttings.  Insert 
in  sandy  soil  singly  in  thumb  pots  or  round  the  edges  of  3-inch  pots, 
placing  in  a  propagating  frame,  or  under  a  hand-glass  in  a  warm  moist 
house,  until  rooted.  Divide,  and  pot  singly,  growing  them  for  any 
purpose  desired. — E.  D,  S. 
