The comet., 1879-12-20
w II PEArpnSs

W. Il. PEATROSS.
AS you say, very little is known
here as to the cultivation and propa-
ton of Asparagus, although it is con-
sidered by some epicures a very deli
cate and fine vegetable. 1t is so high
ly priced in the Northern market that
a commission merchant from Chicago
told me that few small punches very
early in the season often sold for five
or six dollars. There is no such de-
mand for it in the South, and conse-
quently the culture Of it has been
neglected.
We have only grown this vegetable
for home use, and no attention has
been paid to it for market, but as we
expect to grow it for market we have
of late given it more attention. One
advantage of Asparagus planting is, it
is Il permanence, and bed properly
cared for, will last twenty years. 1t
is generally propagated from the seed,
which are planted in well pulverized
manured soil, in rows one foot apart,
and two or three seeds are dropped
from one to six inches apart and COW
cred about half an inch in depth.
From Whites gardening for the
South we extract the following mode
of managing the plants: "Let the
plants remain in the seed-bed until
they are about to grow early in the
spring. To have this delicacy as early
as possible, choose a site where the
bed can be fully exposed to the sun.
If you wish to prolong the season an
other bed may be planted on a northern
exposure. The subsoil should be dry,
and if not naturally so should be well
drained. 1t must bedug up thorough
ly at least two and half feet deep,
the poor soil removed and its place
supplied with rich light loan.
"After taking out the soil, the bot
tom should be covered with at least
six inches of well rotted manure, as
this never can be reached after the |
roots are once planted. IntermiX as .
much more throughout the bed, except |
the top four or five inches, as the ma
nure should not come in contact with
the fresh roots. Bury your manure
and mix it well throughout the whole
depth, as you can hardly make the
ground toorich. Asparagus will grow,
it is true, without all this trouble, but
the size, sweetness and tenderness of
the shoots will pay for doing the work
in the best manner. The upper five
inches should be light, rich, sandy
loan with leaf mold, and the top left
as light as possible. So manured and
deeply dug the plants will send down
their roots toodeeply to fear a drought.
The plants should be carefully taken
up with a fork, and the root preserved
uninjured. Select mild cloudy wealth
cr when the ground is i'm good work
ing order, for it must not be wet. Lay
the roots separately and carefully to-
gether, that they may not he entan-
gled and injured ileplanting; keep
them, while planting, in basket COW
cred with a little mold. Plant your
first row by straining a line eight
inches from the edge OF the bed. then
with the spade cut out a trench six
inches deep with the side next
the line, perpendicular, in which set
the plants twelve inches apart, if large
heads are desired. Place the roots
against the perpendicular side Of the
trench, and spread them out like fan ,
against the cut without any doubling, ,
keeping the crown all the same level,
at about two inches beneath the sur
face, aud cover them by drawing back I
the light earth regularly over the
piants. Draw the line again fifteen
inches from the first, and proceed a. !