The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-10
AGRICULTURAL
Continued from last week.)
ASPARAGUS,


The ASPARAGUS IS supposed to be ma
tive of Great Britain Russia and Poland.
1t is one of our oldest ana most highly
relished vegetables and one that should
have prominent place In every family
garden, as well as forming a part in
the list of the truck farmers crops.
Soil best suited for asparagus is deep,
rich moist, sandy loan, though fine crops
are grown on our heavier soils. These
heavy soils need good under drainage and
vast quantities of humus. Many of our
heavy clay soils WILL If properly drained
and fertilized, produce fine crops of as
paragus. thorough preparation Of the
soil should be made before planting. The
soil should be first supplied with sufficient
underdrainage, lowering the water level
so that the roots OF the plants will not
come in direct contact with the water.
Next, the soil should have applied TO it
a sufficient amount of well rotted stable
manure to make 1t very rich. The soil
should be broken very deep and where the
under surface is of heavy CLAY or of a
tight, gravelly character, subsoillng is
necessary. Break up the subsoll to a
depth of from fifteen to twenty inches
deep. Following the breaking and sub
soiling, from twenty to thirty bushels of
good rock lime per acre should be sown
broadcast on the land and narrowed In.
The soil should be narrowed and made
very fine.
The location for asparagus beds should
be where water will not stand but where
surface drainage is ample TO carry off all
surplus water. After the soil has been
properly prepared the next thing is the
planting. Asparagus may be grown by
planting seed or by planting the roots
grown In the nursery from seed The
cheaper plan for the truck farmer is to
buy good roots from some nursery, usu-
ally one year old roots will answer. Mark
out the rows not less than four feet apart
so that the field may be cultivated by
horse power. Furrow out deep burrows.
twelve inches deep, and set the plants
three feet apart in the burrows. In set
ting the plants, separate them in the cen
ter. lay the roots out straight each way
from the center or crown. cover lightly,
and as the plants grow keep working the
dirt around them until the trenches are
filled This work can best be done by
the use of a one-horse Planet, Jr., culti-
vator
Can Grow Early Crops.
Some early crop, as radlsh or beans,
may be grown to good advantage and
profit the first year between the rows
of asparagus. without injury to the as
paragus, as the soil Is, or should be,
very rich. Cuttings should not be made
until the second or third year or I'M
til the plants become fully established.
In the spring the bed should have
top dressing of well rotted barnyard ma
nure or pure bone meal may be used
as a top dressing at the rate of 500
pounds per acre and this cultivated or
hoed in. Bone meal may be used IN
connection with well rotted stable ma
nure.
The asparagus beds must be kept free
from weeds and gra@s. After the beds
are several years old the tops usually
shade the soil after cuttings cease and
prevent the weeds from growing. No
fresh manure should be applied to the
beds or field as 1t may contain grass
or weed seed. Often blue grass or nimber-
will 0oint grass will get a start in
the asparagus beds and this gives much
trouble and Is very hard to get rid
of. In fact. the only way to get clear of
the joint grass is to dig 1t up and carry
1t from the field or bury 1t under deep
with well rotted manure and smother 1t
out
Compost. made as per directions given
In this bulletin, makes the finest of top
dressing for asparagus fields. In the
northern states 1t is good plan to
mulch the beds in the fall to protect
them from freezing This mulch should
be removed early in the spring. Aspara-
gus roots may be planted in many
sections of the south In the fall, but IN
the northern states spring paintings only,
can be made. A field of asparagus with
proper management should last from
twelve to twenty years. When ready for
market keep the young shoot cut, tie in
nice punches, pack for shipment In fiat
boxes made just a little deeper than
the lunches are long, so that some moss
or other light packing may be used on
top of the punches.
There are several valuable varieties Of
asparagus. the Conover's Colossal and
the Columbian Mammoth White, both be-
I'M good sorts. The latter Is perhaps
the best variety now grown.
The profits of asparagus growing. like
all other crops. varies greatly. Many
growers have made as much as $500 per
acre.
The cu1tiva ton of asparagus has been
greatly simp1ifed so that with good rich
SOIL prepared as outlined above. there
should be no difficulty or great ex-
pense in the growing and marketing of
this crop. Good. deep rich soil and good
cultivation are the most essential points
TO success.
Bush Beans.
The bean in some form or variety has
been a commonly used vegetable In many