The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-03-23
Forcing Asparagus.

Whenever the forcing of asparagus is
an object, supply may be cheaply and
readily obtained for the table for at least
six months of the year. With the view of
making fresh plantation every third or
fourth year, according to the quantity re-
quired, small stock of Seeding plants
should be kept ready for use when need
ed. In the seed-bed l prefer sowing
rather thinly ON light, well-prepared
bed of fine earth, which will yield plants
fit for transplanting the first year after.
sowing; but after two years this would be
better still. A plantation, such as have
described, being formed every fourth
year, a portion of the preceding one may
be lifted for forcing every year, after the
second comes into bearing; and so keep
on with regular rotation of sowing,
planting and forcing, upon compare
lively small surface of ground, which
will be much improved by the alternate
cropping and moving. Various methods
OF forcing are in practice. Perhaps no
more simple or successful one is fol-
lowed than that of placing the roots in
the border of any early winery or peach
house " at work; !" where, by being placed
closely together, the spaces between the
roots filled up with fine mold and covered
about two inches over the crowns, the
produce will be rapid and regular, in
proportion as the house may be slowly or
quickly forced. A succession may be
kept up in this way where there exists
several such forcing houses, as it is only
in the early stage of the forcing of such
houses that asparagus will succeed best
when grown in them. In similar way
good succession of asparagus may be
kept up from an exhausted tan-pit in
which pines have been grown the proceed
ing season. Next to the above method,
where houses do not exist, or where it
may not be convenient to so occupy them,
old melon frames answer equally as we'll,
worked by fresh Innings of fermented
dung, the old bed being we'll perforated
below, to permit the heat to pass more
regularly into it from the Innings. Two
or three light frames worked alternately
in this way, observing to fill one as the
other is fit for cutting, will afford regu-
lar supply for any middlihg sized family
about every second or third day. Aspara-
gus will also do well on newly made.up
beds; but great care must be taken to
have the materials we'll fermented and the
bed properly sweetened previous to plant
jured, if not entirely destroyed, as no
plant is more impatient Of overhead than
asparagus; on this account would pre-
fer forcing this vegetable in exhausted
beds or pits, as the case might be. The
more closely the face of any bed can be
packed with roots, the greater the produce
will consequently be, provided that suffi-
Gent space is left for a little package Of
fvn al,
must be carefully done, finishing the
whole by covering over the crowns about
two inches thick. and settling the whole
in day or SO after with good watering,
when the bed may be shut close up until
the heat begins to rise and the heads make
their appearance, when, for the sake Of
Strengthening and giving them color, .
little air may be admitted, more or less,
according to the state of the weather and
the heat of the bed as q simple criterion,
the guard or watchstick, should never feel
much beyond blood heat. Of late years
asparagus has been forced to some extent