Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-04-09
Cultivation of Asparagus.


In answer - several inquiries. VIC give
the following on the cultivation Of aspari.
gus from Schcnck's Gardeners Tex, book
The seed-ouc ounce being sufficient f,r
nine ar ten hundred PLANTS to be thiuly
s1Wn. in drills sixteen inches apart, early in
the sprins-say from about the middle Of
March TO the beginning OF April. due rC-
gard being had to the iorwardncss Of the
season. II YOU have no drill.rake with the
teeth s,t at that distance apart, You can
mark out the bod with the rake intended for
eight inch drills, and in sowing pass over
every other one Cover the sccd about an
inch and half deep. II the weather con-
tinues dry, the ground ought to be covered
with brush or straw during the middle OF
the day. until gcrmination takes place. Or;
water may be frequently applied in small
quantities. until the sane end Is accom-
plishcl. When the young plants are few
inches high, they must 6e ,hinned out 10
distances Of six or eight inches in the drill.
The surface should be kep, open and free
from weeds. BY the middle or latter par,
Of November. rumovo the withercd stalks,
by cutting them down close to the ground,
and then cover the bel with two inches Of
rotten dung, overland BY coarse stable litter.
This protection not only saves the roots
IRON being INJURED by the frost, but secures
vigorous growth during the next summer.
In the following spring, prPa'atlons
should be early made for transplauiins.
This will be performed in March or April,
Just after the buds start. and before they
are lar advanced Plants may remain in the
sccl-bcl lJr one, two aud three years, but
they seldom succrcd when moved after tha,
period. We ,hruk that. all things con.iI.
cred, the best time Cor the operation .,
when they are one year OLD. and here give
directions bisci upon that opinion. The
most suitable soil j. a IRISH, sandy loan,
deep and mellow. but lying On a dry sub
stratum. The situation should 30 open to
the sun. and free from the injurious inlu-
cncgs Of trees or largc shrubs. For iam-
ily Of moderate size, surface OF eight or
nine SQUARE rods Is generally thought suiIi-
eiently large. as il can be made TO afford
one hundred shoots every day through the
cutting season. Spade it thoroughly u the
depth og three feet, and intimately mix with
il large quantity os well.rotted dung or
.ea-weed. IL will be recollected that the
natural asparagus grown on poor, sandy
beach. is a very different vegetable from
that produced in a highly cultivated gar
den indeed, the produetiveness and sweet
ness Of the shoots depend altogether upon
the fertility Of the soil. In addition to this
application OF dung, it will be good way
to add about City lbs. Of 'alt TO a bed OF the
size above mentioned. Il has been well ob-
served by some writer, that this prepAra-
ton Of the ground in the outset, Is Of more
importance than the after management.
Alter being thus spaded and manurcd, the
ph, may be laid out into beds fur fee,
wide, with alleys Of eighteen inches or two
feet.
When the plants discover the frst indiea-
,ions Of growth. take them up carefully
from the secd.bed by means Of fork. and
suffer them to le exposed to the air us little
a. possible. They may be placed in small
basket Of sand, and covered with mat.
Tho delicate fbrous roots arr apt to get en-.
tangled IL handled roughly, and thereby
cause the loss Of mach time IN eaeciing
separation without doing them injury.
Stretch the line lengthwise Of the bed, about
one foot from the edge, and open with the
spade v-shapcd trench, six or eight inches
deep. The side next the line should be
nearly perpendicular. against which the
plants are 20 be set, at distances Of twelve
or fourteen inches, with the crowns about
two inches below the surface. Draw the
roots cut regularly in the shape OF fan.
and steady them in their places by little
dirt, until the trench can be filed up by
the rake. After one row is planted, and
the ground has been smoothly levelled, open
a second trench in the same manner, a foot
distant from the first Tie bed viii thus
hold three rows Of plants.