The Colorado statesman., 1912-03-30
ASPARAGUS CULTURE.

No farm home vegetable garden
should be without a good row or bed
of asparagus. 1t is of the easiest cul-
ture and can be grown almost any
where. 1t comes on for table use very
early in spring before most other
plants are ready, and short row of
1t will supply a common-sized family
with an abundance Of this appetizing
and healthful green food for four or
five weeks at season when green
things are most relished.
Although asparagus will grow and
thrive for many years in exposed and
neglected situations, yet the best re-
suits are secured by planting it in
very deep and well-fertilized soil in a
favored portion of the garden.
Most persons speak of the "aspar-
agus bed" yet the writer has had
the best results with the least amount
of labor by setting the plants in a
straight row across the garden. In a
bed, the plants are hard to cultivate
and keep clean, and after few years
the roots become so crowded for
space that large growth is not possi-
BILE. In the row, cultivation is easy.
We use the horse cultivator for stir
ring the soil on each side Of the row,
and in this way with close working
only very few weeds must be pulled
by hand. In fact, perennial vegetable
beds in general are going out of date,
with hills and straight rows 8 or 4
feet apart to admit of horse tool cul-
tivation taking their place.
Since the asparagus row is to be
permanent, it is best to make
the soil very fertile and work
1t deeply. Open as deep furrow as
possible with two-horse plow, throw
ing the soil both ways, and then with
one good horse to the same plow
throw out the soil 6 to 10 inches deep,
with plenty of loose soil for filling.
In the bottom of the trench is placed
deep layer of decomposed manure,
and back over this a good layer of
fine soil Is plowed and firmed down.
On this soil thinner layer of fertil-
izer is placed, and is covered lightly
with soil. The roots, or one-year-old
plants, are set on this about 1 foot
apart, and fine soil covered in and
over the roots till the first crowns
are buried 8 inches.
During the first season after plant
ing the row is given good, clean culti-
vation, the same as the rest of the
garden plants. In the fall the tops
are cut away and removed, and the
row given liberal mulch of manure,
which the following spring is culti-
waited into the soil about the roots.
Only a few shoots should be cut the
second year after planting, but the fol-
lowing spring and thereafter the
growth will be large and close cutting
may be done. A saving of two years
or more can be made in planting roots
instead of sowing seed. The roots may
be purchased cheaply Of private grow
ers, or they may be purchased of all
large seed dealers. One hundred
plants make a good row for the family
garden.
To grow asparagus from seed, plant
the seed in spring as early as possi-
BILE, covering with about an inch of
fine SOIL Several weeks will be re-
| quired for the seed to germinate and
the young plants to come up. Give
clean cultivation from the first, and
thin the young plants to stand about
2 inches apart in the row. In the fall,
cut the tops away, and the following
spring take up the roots to set in the
permanent row as described above.