The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-02-23
~gs 7ss sszapz=4etsexss.
AGARMa FQghD
49, HNn GARDEN
HOW TO GROW ASPARAGUS.

Valuable Items For the Market
Grower and the Home Gardener.
Asparagus Is one of those garden
vegetables which are always of inter-
est both to the private grower and the
market gardener. A brief statement
of the principal points in it's culture at
this season, when many are planning
for new paintings in spring, is found
appropriate by Nic.'s Magazine and is
presented as follows: Not many years
since the preparation of a piece of
ground for raising asparagus, what
with extra deep spading or trenching
and filling the ground with great
amount of manure and bones, was con-
sidered formidable undertaking, and |
consequently but small beds of the
plant were cultivated, and the produce
was considered as luxury rather than
a staple culinary vegetable. The more
rational and simpler treatment that
has since prevailed has caused the cul-
tivation of this healthful vegetable to
be greatly extended. Notwithstanding
but few private gardens of suburban
residents and innumerably fewer of
farm or country jewellers produce the
crop. and the large markets demand a
greater supply than they receive.
The different varieties in cultivation
under different names are all of the
same species, the differences in charac-
| ter being the result of peculiar soils
and culture and of breeding and selec-
ton. With good culture one may be
sure of good results with any Of them.
Plants are easily raised from seeds,
and those who so desire can produce
their own plants by sowing the seeds
early in spring in a piece of free, fri
able. rich soil. sowing the seeds in drills
about " inches in depth and the rows
Is or IS inches apart. Sow the seeds
thinly an inch or two apart. To get
strong plants about half of them should
be thinned out SO they will stand two
or three inches apart. Hoe or cul-
tivate and keep the ground clean
through the season. Good 1-year-old
plants of ones own raising are, on the
whole, the most desirable for planting
out. but if one buys plants. and espe-
cially if they have to be brought from
q distance, experience has shown that
strong 2-year plants are more reliable
than younger ones.
A light soil will produce crop ear
lier in the season than heavy one,
and the market grower should, if pos
sible. avail himself of this fact How
ever, any good garden soil, if properly
cultivated. will produce good aspara-
gus. In the case of a market gardener
: intending to plant considerable area
he should select ground that has been
under clean cultivation and that is free
/. from weeds and weed seeds. In the
fall preceding planting the land can be
plowed deep and left in rough state
during winter. Early in spring or as
soon as the ground is in suitable condi-
ton to work give a heavy dressing of
old. well rotted stable manure and
pillow it in. Harrow the surface until
it is smooth and fine; then with pillow
J. open burrows through the plot OF
ground about four feet apart. On
: sandy soils the distance may be great
er and on heavy lands somewhat less
! The burrows should be opened to O
= depth Of at least nine inches. In the
bottom Of the furrow the plants are tc
be set from three to four feet apart.
1t Is best to take some pains In set
= ting the plants. and the best cult
vators draw up little mound Of sol
with the hand and set the plant on 1t
]. spreading out the roots In all direc
TONS Then draw on a little soil
enough to hold the plant in place. Aft
erward portion of the soil on eacl
side of the row that was thrown out IL
making the furrow can be turned in b.
I means of one horse pillow from which
the moldboard has been removed. TIL
plants are to be set so that the crow
shall be from four to six inches beloy
= the level surface. In light soil deepe
covering is desirable than in heavie
ground. Careful cultivation is to b
7. given the plants and the ground KEEP
entirely clean. In making small gal
den beds the work can be done wit
si- spade and hoe.
In the garden it is good plan t
= make narrow beds five feet wide, q
lowing a space of two feet between til
-
'O' lengthwise of these beds two fee
apart, three rows to a bed. the QUITE
at rows one foot from the margin.
AS many as these narrow beds &
. may be needed can be made side b
side. By preference they should III
north and south.
An asparagus plantation should
well supplied annually with we'll 70
ted stable manure or mineral fertilize
distributed in burrows run each sit
a.. of a row. The application of stab
o,- manure. ground bone, bonemeal. &C
an. phosphate and muriate of sulphate
ion potash can be made to best adva
tage early in the spring before grow
starts. Nitrate of soda is an eXcelle
- fertilizer for asparagus. and it h
been found best to apply 1t at thr
different times during the season-es
ly, or in March, and again in May az
finally. after the crop has been gatht
ed. No shoots are to be cut for use