Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-05-02
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The Asparagus Bed.


enough. The advantage of beginning
early is to get the asparagus roots
into the soil in time to receive the
benefit of the spring rains. The bed
may indeed be put in late, say June
or July, but in that case the roots
will be trying to send up shoots at a
time of year when there is the least
supply of moisture. Artificial water
ing is often resorted to in such cases,
but such application of water is often
neglected or made too scantily, and
the supply that nature gives is thus
much to be preferred. Moreover. in
the case of a large bed on sandy
soil, the application of water would
he found L entail al immense amount
OF labor.
For asparagus the ground should be
thoroughly worked. If the land has
decided slope, run the asparagus rows
in accordance with it, so that the
soil may to some extent have a nat
ural drainage. 1t is best to give the
plants room enough, and if they are
FROM fur 10 FIVE feet apart, it will
b. better for them and FAKE it easier
to cultivate with a horse, if the bed
be of sufficient size to require it. As
paragus roots spread rapidly and sonE
cover a large area. They will pro-
duce larger shoots and will continue
to produce longer than will be the case
If the roots are planted close together,
as used to be cone. In too close plant
fngs, the beds in a few years become
a mass of roots, anu the stalks become
smaller and tougher from --ar to
year.
When a large field is to be planted
to asparagus it is interesting to know
how, many plants will be required. If
they are set three feet apart each
way an acre will require 1910; three
by four feet, 3,640; four by four feet,
2,T22 plants; four by five feet, 2,17S
plants per acre; FIVE by five feet,
1892; five by six feet, 1,452; six by
six feet, 1,210. The roots of asparagus
will sometimes be found in the soil
ten feet from the parent stem, so it
is readily seen that they can use all
the room given them.
Asparagus is not deep-rooted plant
and does not require to be planted
in deep trenches, as some seem to
think. In it's wild state it grows on
the edges of marshes and has to send
it's roots down only a few inches to
reach water. The roots cannot live
in water and hence run far over the
ground near the surface. When they
are planted in deep trenches on heavy
soil the roots lie in water for weeks
at time and the plants die. The
writer knows of such a bed being
made in the spring of 1902. 1t was
on heavy, wet soil. The old man that
dug the trench followed the old 40
ton and put it down good and Deep"
which meant over two feet. He filed
the bottom with tomato cans and the
like rubbish. piled lot of manure
on top of that, then put in the as
paragus roots and the dirt. A good
rain came on and filled the trench
Not an asparagus shoot appeared dur
ing the entire season. The proper
depth to plant asparagus is from four
to ten inches, depending on condi-
tions of soil, moisture supply and va
riety of plant
Small Things About the Orchard.
In a talk to fruit growers r. Morrill,
said: If l were to have an orchard
to lay out in an ideal manner / would
have it laid out with a view of being
able to do all the work in that orchard
economically, to be able to gather the
fruit economically. l will mention one
thing to call your attention to what
mean. If there is no other reason, no
climatic raa aSnn wbv tree cho.,ld