The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-06

Asparagus is the earliest and most prof
liable crop for the neutrality-suspicious. but
very much neglected by the farmer, says
the Home and Fireside. It's value as a
spring medicinal agent cannot be overesti-
mated and the relish of a few nice dishes
before even early vegetables can be pro-
duced ought to be enough to cause every
farmer TO have a small bed in some con-
Venient out-of-the-way spot In my home
experience 1 believe half dozen messes
of nicely prepared asparagus have given
better results as q spring tonic than so
many dollars invested in medicines. Some
of my successful market-gardener friends
say they can easily harvest five thousand
pounds from an acre, and sell 1t for from
five to ten cents a pound. A few years ago
l sold the product of a little patch in the
dooryard of one of my customers for eigh-
ty dollars and yet he had the ornamental
effect left. Asparagus culture, however.
like everything else, acquires good man.
agement, and poor gardeners will not be
successful.
The best plan for getting a good aspara -
gus-bed i'm one year is to plant two-vear-
Old roots in well prepared rows three feet
apart, with roots eighteen inches in the
row. Roots can be obtained from any
prominent scotsman for about fifty cents
a hundred in quantities, and a little more
than that price by the dozen The Nam
moth, Palmetto and Colossal are the lead
ing varieties, of which either will prove
satisfactory if properly cultivated Nv
pan is 70 ploW or spade the soil to the
depth of a foot or more and fila in about
/ inches al
the roots deep enough so that about three
or four inches Of soil win cover the crown
rms should be done in the fail. and q
layer OF coarse manure or straw be thrown
over the top. In the spring the mulch can
be removed and some wood-ashes and salt
spaaed IN the surface to the depth of the
root-crowns
Seeds require three wears from nIorti,r,
to make good bearing roots. but where
time Is no object are cheaper than roots
Inc seed can be purchased for about 70
cents a pound, and one ounce win sow
nifty feet Of drill They should be soaked
IN tepId water about twenty-four hours
or nave two or three applications of boil
ing water poured over them and off agair
before planting. Spring is the time for
planting, and cultivation is nbout tho
same as Tor any other plants, keeDine- the
soil stirred and weeds down. The roots
may be transplanted in the fail of tba
nfst year and some shoots can be cut
the following spring, although a full cron
need not be expected till the third sea-
son; Cut every second or third day. using
a sharp knife, and reach below fhe srr
face Boil for awhile after washing ana
cut into half-inch pieces, add mill ana
butter, and the dish Is fit for a king
The general asparagus market Is no,,a,
overstocked, and there is always Ia
mand for crisp, well-washed and neatI,,
punched shoots. Small, woody stems VIII
not sell for any price, and dirty. poorly
though the quality may be exceuant W..
usually cut in the morning, wash in
tub partly filled with pure water Ana tta
with new white Irvine in punches of ,1'o
pounds or more. The stems sborId he Nv,
ranged neatly, and the bunch to be tin5
so that 1t will look enticing to the pros
pecive customer. P'0S-