The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-04-18

Then would my captive be sweet Adeline
AURTEUR BLAKE
Oshkosh Normal School, Wisconsin.
ASPARAGUS HOW TO CULTI-
VATE IT.
Few farmers, or others, but that like
a good dish Of well cooked asparagus
When they can get it in Spring or early
Summer; but comparatively few Of
those who pride themselves on having
q good garden affect to grow it, APP
pearing to think there is some myste-
~ about raising asparagus, and the
mystery understood by only the few.
or that it is attended with difficulty
and much labor. There is little rea-
son for wonder at this impression
when we come to read directions given
by writer's in our agricultural and
horticultural journals, where they have
SO myStified and elaborated the culture
as to deter very many from planting
this early and delicious vegetable. In
many Of their prosy dissertations we
read about soil, aspect, digging deep
| trenches, removal of subsOil, about old
! bones, shoes, etc. as indispensable to the
preparation Of asparagus beds; when.
in fact, the culture Of no garden Yege-
table is more simple or attended with
LESS labor. Asparagus will grow in
any soil sufficiently fertile and suita-
BILE to produce a good crop of corn or
| potatoes, and when once planted res
Quires less labor to care for the same.
In our garden we have & small bed
four years planted with one-year old
roots, which has yielded us cuttings
for two seasons. The preparation and
culture Of the bed was as follows:
The soil being very thin, a
portion having been removed for
grading was lightly MANFRED and
spaded to the depth of about eight
inches, setting the roots about one foot
apart, with the crown from two to
three inches below the surface. All
the care given it since is has to pull
out the WeeGs during Summer, giving
it a light dressing, broadcast, of super
phosphate after the last cutting, clean
ing off the old stocks in the Fall, and
raking over with an IRON rake in
Spring to stir the surface soil little:
the last season it gave us fair crop,
no doubt but that it would have paid
better if we had given it more fertili-
zers; but [ wish to show how easy
every farmers family may enjoy this
luxury, and that it is not absolutely
necessary to go through all the routine
of manipulations taught by theorizing
gardeners. o r94
Now, for an asparagus-bed made
good enough for either the farmer or
amateur cultivation, which will last him
many years, select any average good
soil in sunny location, and spade or
pillow it ten to twelve inches deep, work
ing into the soil a heavy coat of rich
manure and compost wood-ashes and
salt, in the proportion of about one of
salt, two of ashes and forty Of manure,
mix it well through the soil. Strong
one-year roots are good as any but
where strong one-year ones cannot be
had, get two-year's old, see that they
are of even size, good roots, etc. If
space is limited set the roots one foot
apart, spreading them we'll, covering
the crowns two or three inches below
the surface, set them in Spring soon as,
can be we'll done; when set and the
surface Of bed evened off, give it a
dressing of an inch or more Of manure
or rich compost. Keep clear of weeds
by manipulating; in the Fall, annually
after frOsts, cut the foliage clear off the
old stalks and cover the bed three or
four inches deep with long coarse ma
nure. Early in Spring rake of the
strawy portion and work the fine ma
nure lightly into the soil-ashes or SUI
may be sown over the
bed after finishing cutting in June or
early July. a sandy loan, deep, rich
and we'll drained, is the best for asper-
agus, but almost any Well-drained soil,
with a sunny exposure will do rightly
as above. 1t is quite import
ant that the bed should be well-drain-
ed, have sunny exposure and located
where surface water will not stand for
any length of time; quick growth gives
as the best asparagus, tender and Juicy.
a bed may be started from seed by
sowing in rows, covering the seed
abont one inch deep and thinning out
the plants to one foot apart when fair
" established. If our location is in
5he Vicinity of the ocean or saltwater,
title or no benefit will be derived from
salt, but away from that influence o
light dressing annually is of benefit
Beds started from seed will require
me or two years more time in coming
o the cutting stage than if started
rom roots Cor. Germantown Tele-
.raph.
The Yacht Mamie" was laun ched