Litchfield enquirer., 1834-04-03

4 Nen Eade of RearSng AsPGragGs.-l The asparaens seed should bo sOwn from ,h@ middle of March Go the last of April ;D . drv spot. fnot too much exposed to the u;a.dav sun.l one inch deep, and the seed one inch apart; after they come up. to be Kent clear of grass and weeds during the summer. by hand wedding; to be dug up tbe next fail or spring-(t prefer the spring, as the roots do not grow during tue winter, if set out in the fall, and are liable to be killed by a severe winter,) and set in beds nreDared as follows: Dig out the size of1 ,he beds nine inches deep-eover the Sot- tom three inches deep with rich mari, (which has been my practice. though Oe- Iieve that oyster shells half burned will be as good. as it is intended as a lasting heas- ine manure, to protect the roots in winter, 1 and force the vegetable early in the spring then nut three inches deep of coarse stable manure, then three inches of rich earth. This brings the beds on level with the surface of the earth. Next lay of the beds in rows eighteen by twelve inches apart, and put single eye or spire in each spot where the lines insersect, and cover them three inches deep with rich earth. Plank the sides of the beds, as this prevents grass and other roots from running into the beds, and also keeps the outside roots from being exposed, by the sides of the beds washing away. The beds should be kept clean by hand weeding, and all the earth and manure used in making them should be perfectly free from grass roots and noxious weeds.- Tn the fall of the year, after the seeds have matnred, cut the tops off close to the beds, fbeing careful that not single seed is left to vegetale on the beds,) as they have al- ready as many roots as the space they oc- cupy should contain, and if additional roots are suffered to form from year to year from the falling of the seed every fall, the beds will soon be so much clustered with roots that the vegetable must degenerate, at least in size and length, as the new roots form near, or on the surface. Some prevent this by burning, but think the best way is to pick them off by hand, before the ball that contains the seed breaks. You then top dress the beds with coarse stable ma- nurs, let it lie on all winter, and in the fol- lowing spring rake off, the coarsest part, and fcrk in the remainder, being careful that the fork does not touch the roots.-- Pursue this course two falls, and early in the third spring, before the beds are fork cd up, put on two inches of light well .rot- ted manure--fork it with the stable manure, then put on from three to four inches deep of clean sand iron. the river shore. and you will cut in the month of April the best vog- etable we bave in Virginia. would not give my beds for the balance of my garden. think there is much in the kind of seed. I obtained my seed from New York ; they were marked "giant asparagus"
 The cover of sand is important on sev-I erai accounts; its being great absorber of heat and moisture, so soon as the vege- I table gets through the soil, it is hastily ! thrown through the sand to the surface in bleached tender state, and the cutting from l day to day is more uniformly of the same tender delicious vegetable. The sand also prevents grass from growing on the beds, which obviates the necessity of so much hand weeding during the season3or cutting, by which the beds frequently become tram- pied, and the vegetable that is about to come through the surface mashed down, which not only destroys the spires that are so trampled on by the gardener in the pro- cess of hand weeding, but q shink) injures the root. The sand should be laid in the ] alleys between the beds, in the fall, when the beds are about to receive the top dres- sing of stable litter to keep them warm through the winter; and when the sand is about to be replaced in the spring, it should be passed through sieve of such size as will not let the balls (that contain the seed) pass through. This will be another means of preventing the seed from vegetating on the beds. There is practice very preva- lent with gardeners, to plant lettuce, rad- ishes, and other early vegetables on the beds; this should never be done, and par ticularly with radishes, as they have . long root that extends to the roots of the as- paragus. and must seriously interfere with them.
 I frequently cut asparagus from three to five and half, and once cut spire six inches in circumference, and from five to eight inches long; it could have been cut longer. but tits never tender near the root. G3sa Farmers Reg |