Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-09-03
VOL. XII. NO. WHOLE NO. POSI-.

HOW TO RAISE "GIANTn ASpARAGUS
Mr. Editor,-There are sold in the seedstores
several sorts OF asparagus, which clam, M orow ~
unusual size, and produce giant stalks have
bought and planted these Sorts and have found
them not perceptbly different from the common old
Sort
want to tell you and your readers, if you will
have a little patience with me, how grow COM
mon Asparagus, 30 that it will always rival any
giant production, whether from Broddignag or
Kentucky. Every one who has seen my bed has
begged me for the seed-thnking it a new sort
but have pointed to the manure heap-(the FARM
ers best bank land told them that the secret all
aid there The seed was only such as might be
had in every garden.
About the LIST of November-as soon as the
frost has well blackened the Asparagus iops-I
take scythe, and NOV all close down to the sur
lace OF me bed; let it lie a day or two, then set
fire to the heap of stalks; burn it to ashes, and
spread the ashes over the surface of the bed
then go to my barn yard; take q load of clean,
fresh stable manure, and add thereto half bushei
of hen dung; turning over and mixing the whole
together throughout This makes pretty power
fu compost | apply one such load TO every twen-
ty feet in length of my asparagus beds, which
six feet wide. With strong three pronged spuG,
or fork dig this dressing under. The whole is
now left for the winter
In the spring early as possible, 1 turn the
tops OF the bed over lightly once more. Now, as
the asparagus grows naturally on this side of the
ocean, and loves salt water give it an annual sup
ply of its favorte condiment. cover the surface
of the bed about quarter of an inch thick with
fine packing salt it is not too much. As the
spring rains come down, it gradually dissolves.-
| Not a weed will appear during the whole season.
Every thing else, pig Weed, chick-weed, purslane,
all refuse to grow on the top of my brny aspara-
gus beds. But it would do your eyes good to see
the strong stout tender stalks of the vegetable it.
sole hinr Ouuhf no fare in
son. | do not at all stretch point, when say
that they are often as large round as my hoe-han-
de- and as tender and succueDt as any ever tast-
| ed The same round Of treatment is given to my
bed every year.
have a word to say about cutting Asparagus,
and then I am, DONE Market gardeners, and l..
believe good many other people, cut Asparagus
as soon as the point of the shoot pushes an inch or
! two through the ground. They have then about
two inches of what grows above ground, and about
four or six inches of what grows below. The lat
ter looks white and tempting; l suppose people
think that for the same reason that the white part
of Celery is tender, the white part of asparagus
must be too. There is as much difference as
! there is between goose and gander. 1t is as
tough as a stick and this is the reason why peo-
pie when it is boiled, always are forced to eat the
tops, and leave the bottom of the shoots on their
plates.
NV way is, never to cut any shoots of Aspara-
gus.below the surface Of the ground. Cut it as
soon as it has grown to proper height, say five or
six inches above ground. The whole is then green,
but it is all tender Served with little drawn but
ter, it will melt in your mouth. If your readers
have any doubts of this, from having been in the
habit ali their lives, of eating white sticks of hard
Asparagus only let them cut it both ways, and
boil it on the day, keeping the two lots sepa-
rate, and my word for it, they will never cut anoth-
er stalk below the surface Of the bed.
Yours, SC. T.B.
.Nec York, 1916. Ho'ftctut1aISt.