The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-04-26


is the very first one to be enjoyed in the
spring, and coming in after SO long sea
son of fasting, it is especially desirable. II
is not necessary to go to great expense to
prepare, a. bed A good rich garden soil
will. produce good asparagus. In our Jan
uary number, Mr.. Carew Sanders gave reli
able directions for preparing the beds and
setting out the plants. Most nurserymen
keep good supply of plants.
1.-THE following is the article referred to
above. It is by an old and experienced
gardener, is well worth reading, and we
give it entire.-ED. NEWS.
ASPARAGUS.
This is the very first Vegetable OF spring,
and on this account alone is very desirable;
for. as soon as vegetation commences in
spring, and while we are yet only sowing
other garden crops, or they are but Just
terminating, the asparagus commences to
throw up through the soil its thick, feshy.
marrowy shoots, and is ready at once for the
table-req curing no DRESSING, preparation
or care, other than to cut it off, wash, and
plunge it into the pot, boil and serve up,
With or without melted butter, and then
what luxury in all the list of vegetable
products, not one IS more delicious; and,
from its early season, its quality, and pro-
ductiEeness, not one is more acceptable or
profitable.
Many old gardeners have thrown a sort
of my stifcation around this vegetable-that
it was hard to cultivate, required special
manures and treatment, was long coming
into bearing, and so on, and hundreds have
run away with the idea that it is an expen-
sive luxury, unproductive, and not adapted
to plebeian gardens and tables, Nothing
can be more erroneous than all these as
SYMPTOMS. On the contrary, it is one of
the easiest vegetables of all to cultivate,
yielding readily to generous treatment; re-
warding we'll for it; not refusing to pay for
even fair to ordinary culture; productive,
yielding as much actual food in weight per
acre as cabbage or turnips, and is equally
adapted to the table Of the poor as the rich
man, requiring only alittle salt when boiled
to render it vegetable marrow indeed.
Thousands have been deferred from cul-
tivating it, from erroneous ideas regarding
it. 1t is true it does not commence to yield
the first year, nor much the second, but
then it should be remembered that bed
once made is to last lifetime, almost; and
this should always be taken into account in
the formation of the bed, both for the sake
of its durability and of its producing first
rate article while it lasts. When bed has
come into bearing, all the after culture it
needs is simple and easy. The stalks that
come up after cutting is done, will generally
keep the bed clear of weeds. These stalks
are all cut off in the fall, top-dressing of
rich manure applied every two years or so,
to be forked in, in spring, and all is done.
Making The Bed.-Now as to the making
of an asparagus bed. The best spot in the
garden will of course be chosen, where the
soil is deep and rich, but not wet, Or too
clayey and stubborn. If digging a bed
two or three spades deep with the spade
seems too much labor, use the pillow, and
subsoil or trench pillow; let these be run
through the plat of ground several times,
not less than fifteen inches in depth, and a
good dressing Of rotten manure plowed and
narrowed in, and mixed with the soil as well
as these implements will do it.
PLantieg.-Then set out your asparagus
plants in rows four feet apart, and eighteen
inches in the rows, if you want to make
horse culture of it, or in beds of four rows
eighteen inches apart, if for garden culture.
One yearold plants. that have stood thin
and been well cultivated ,are better than older.
| They will have roots foot or more long,
and proportionally stout; while older plants
with longer roots are more likely to have
the long roots cut or broken off, giving the
crowns a greater check, which one year-old
plants will make up for, and more. Spread
out the whole of the roots the full length, in
planting, along a trench, which may also
be made with the pillow, covering the crowns
two or three inches below the surface, and
making all smooth and level over them. Or
as some assert Is preferable, the seed may
be sown where they are to remain. Soak
the seed for forty eight hours, and drop two
or three seeds in place the requisite dis
lance apart, in shallow drills, thinning out
to single plant in place, il more than one
comes up and grows. The advocates of this
plan say that no time is lost, but that the
bed is fit to cut from as soon as if one year
old plants had been used. But we prefer
the plants.
Of course, for the first year or two of the
beds existence, more time and care will be
required in hoeing and keeping the beds
clean and free from weeds than ever after,
as the young asparagus will not be sufi-
GENTLY strong to smother down all weeds,
as they viii be when the plants are year
or two older. If perennial weeds intrude
into the beds, such as docks, clover, etc..
they must be rigidly kept out. Though
if they have been well attended to for the
first two or three years, there will be little
trouble after.
1 Flax Culture.
Having raised flax ten years, I win. i