Tumbledown Farm .9 Acres (give or take an acre or two)

Excerpt: Asparagus is a hardy, perennial, maritime plant. It rises to the height of five feet and upwards, with an erect, branch­ing stem; short, slender, nearly cylindrical leaves; and greenish, drooping flowers. ...since its introduction, has become naturalized to a considerable extent in this country. It is frequently seen in mowing-fields upon old farms; and, in some instances has found its way to the beaches and marshes of the sea-coast.

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ASPARAGUS.
Asparagus officinalis.

Asparagus is a hardy, perennial, maritime plant. It rises to the height of five feet and upwards, with an erect, branch­ing stem; short, slender, nearly cylindrical leaves; and greenish, drooping flowers. The seeds, which are produced in globular, scarlet berries, are black, somewhat triangular, and retain their germinative powers four years. Twelve hundred and fifty weigh an ounce.

It is indigenous to the shores of various countries of Europe and Asia; and, since its introduction, has become naturalized to a considerable extent in this country. It is frequently seen in mowing-fields upon old farms; and, in some instances has found its way to the beaches and marshes of the sea-coast.

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Asparagus Propagation

It is propagated from seed, which may be sown either in autumn, just before the closing up of the ground, or in spring, as soon as the soil is in good working condition. The nursery, or seed-bed, should be thoroughly spaded over, the surface leveled and raked smooth and fine, and the seed sown, not very thickly, in drills twelve or four­teen inches apart, and about an inch in depth. An ounce of seed is sufficient for fifty or sixty feet of drill.

When the plants are well up, thin them to three inches asunder; as they will be much stronger, if grown at some distance apart, than if allowed to stand closely together. Cultivate in the usual manner during the summer, and give the plants a light covering of stable-litter during the winter.

Good plants of one year's growth are preferred by experi­enced growers for setting; but some choose those of two years, and they may be used when three years old.

Soil and Planting of Asparagus

A deep, rich, mellow soil is best adapted to the growth of asparagus. In the forming of a plantation, cold and wet situations should be avoided, and a sandy subsoil, where it can be obtained, should be preferred to a subsoil of clay or gravel.

Before planting out the roots, the ground should be thor­oughly trenched two feet or more in depth. As the soil can hardly be made too rich, incorporate in the process of trench­ing a very liberal quantity of well-decomposed manure with a free mixture of common salt.

Layout the land in beds five feet apart, and running north and south or east and west, as may be most convenient. Along these beds set three rows of roots, the outer rows being one foot from the borders of the bed, and the roots one foot from each other in the rows.

The roots may be set in April, or early in May. Throw out a trench, along the length of the bed, ten inches or a foot in width, and deep enough to allow the crowns to be covered

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three or four inches beneath the surface. There are various methods of placing the roots in the trench. Some spread them out like a fan against the side; some form little hil­locks of fine soil, over which the roots are spread, extending like the sticks of an umbrella; others make a ridge along the center of the trench, and spread the roots on either side; while others remove the soil from the bed, rake the surface smooth, and spread out the roots at right angles on the level, afterward replacing the soil, covering to the depth of about three inches.

During the summer nothing will be necessary but to keep the plants clear of weeds; and, in doing this, the hoe should be dispensed with as much as possible, to avoid injuring the roots. In the autumn, when the tops have completely with­ered, they should be cut down nearly level with the surface of the ground, and burned. The beds should then be lightly dug over, and two or three inches of rich loam, intermixed with well-digested compost, and salt at the rate of two quarts to the square rod, should be applied; which will leave the crowns of the roots about five inches below the surface.

Second Year Asparagus

Early in spring, as soon as the frost leaves the ground, dig over the beds, taking care not to disturb the roots; rake the surface smooth; and, during the summer, cultivate as before directed: but none of the shoots should be cut for use. In the autumn, after the stalks have entirely withered, cut down and burn as in the previous year; stir the surface of the bed, and add an inch of soil and manure, which will bring the crowns six or seven inches below ground,--a depth preferred, by a majority of cultivators, for estab­lished plantations.

Third Year Asparagus

Early in spring stir the ground as directed for the two previous years. Some cultivators make a slight cutting during this season; but the future strength of the plants will be increased by allowing the crop to grow naturally

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as during the first and second years. In autumn cut and burn as before; dig over the surface; add a dressing of manure; and, in the ensuing spring, the beds may be cut freely for use.

Instead of transplanting the roots, asparagus-beds are sometimes formed by sowing the seeds where the plants are to remain. When this method is adopted the beds should be laid out and trenched, as before directed, and about three inches of soil removed from the entire surface. The seed should then be sown in drills an inch deep, at the distances marked out for the rows, and covered with rich, light soil. When the seedlings are two or three inches high, they should be thinned to nine or twelve inches apart; and, in thinning, the weakest plants should be removed. In the autumn, cut down the plants after they have withered, stir and smooth the surface, and add a dressing of manure. In the spring of the second year, stir the surface again; and, during the summer, cultivate as before. In the autumn the plants will be ready for the dressing, which consists of the soil previously taken from the bed, with sufficient well-digested compost added to cover the crowns of the roots five or six inches in depth. The after-culture is similar to that of beds from transplanted roots.

Asparagus-beds should be enriched every autumn with a liberal application of good compost containing some mixture of salt; the benefit of which will be evident, not only in the quantity, but in the size and quality, of the produce. The dressing should be applied after the removal of the decayed stalks, and forked in, that its enriching properties may be washed to the roots of the plants by winter rains.

In general, transplanted Asparagus comes up quite slen­der the first year; is larger the second; and, the third year, a few shoots may be fit for cutting. It is nearly in perfection the fourth year; and, if properly managed, will annually give

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an abundant supply during the life of the maker of a bed or plantation.

Cutting Asparagus

The shoots should be cut angularly, from two to three inches below the surface of the ground; taking care not to wound the younger buds. It is in the best condition for cutting when the shoots are four or five inches above ground, and while the head, or bud, remains close and firm.

It is the practice to cut off all the shoots as they appear, up to the period when it is thought best to leave off cutting altogether. The time for this depends on the climate, season, nature of the soil, and strength of the plants. Where the climate is good, or when the season is an early one, cutting must be commenced early; and of course, in such a case, it ought not to be continued late, as the plants would thereby be weakened.

In the Middle States the cutting should be discontinued from the 10th to the 15th of June; and from the 15th to the 25th of the same month in the Eastern States and the Canadas.

If the plants are weak, they should be allowed to grow up as early as possible, to make foliage, and consequently fresh roots, and thus to acquire more vigor for the ensuing year. It is also advisable to leave off at an early period the cutting of some of the best of the beds intended for early produce, in order that the buds may be well matured early in autumn, and thus be prepared to push vigorously early in spring.

Asparagus beds will continue from twenty to thirty years; and there are instances of beds being regularly cut, and remaining in good condition for more than fifty years.

Asparagus Use

The young shoots are boiled twenty minutes or half an hour, until they become soft; and are principally served on toasted bread, with melted butter. It is the practice of some to boil the shoots entire; others cut or break the

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sprout just above the more tough or fibrous part, and cook only the part which is tender and eatable. This is snapped or cut into small sections, which are boiled, buttered, sea­soned, and served on toast in the usual form. "The smaller sprouts are sometimes cut into pieces three-eighths of an inch long, and cooked and served as green peas." The sprouts are also excellent when made into soup.

It is one of the most productive, economical, and healthful of all garden vegetables.

Asparagus Varieties

The names of numerous varieties occur in the catalogs of seedsmen; but there seems to be little per­manency of character in the plants; such slight variations as appear from time to time being caused, to a considerable extent, by the nature of the soil, or by the situation in which the plants are grown. What are called the Red-topped and Green-topped may perhaps be somewhat distinct, and con­sidered as varieties.

--Glenny.

Soil and location have unquestionably much influence, both as respects the quality and size of the sprouts. A bed of Asparagus in one locality produced shoots seldom reaching a diameter of half an inch, and of a very tough and fibrous character; while a bed in another situation, formed of plants taken from the same nursery-bed, actually produced sprouts so large and fine as to obtain the prize of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

If any variety really exists peculiar in size, form, color, or quality, it cannot be propagated by seed. Large sprouts may afford seeds, which, as a general rule, will produce finer Asparagus than seeds from smaller plants; but a variety, when it occurs, can be propagated only by a division of the roots.

Mr. Thompson states that on one part of Mr. Grayson's extensive plantation, on the south side of the Thames, near London, the so-called Grayson's Giant was produced; and

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in another section, the common sort; but, when both were made to change places, the common acquired the dimensions of the giant, whilst the latter diminished to the ordinary size.

Seeds of the following named and described sorts may be obtained of seedsmen, and will undoubtedly, in nearly all cases, afford fine asparagus; but they will not produce plants which will uniformly possess the character of the parent variety:-

Battersea. Rog

Battersea is famed for producing fine Asparagus, and the name is applied to the particular variety there grown. The heads are large, full, and close, and the tops tinted with a reddish-green color. It is prob­ably intermediate between the Green and Purple-topped.

Gravesend. Rog.

Originated and named under like circumstances with the Battersea. The top is greener, and not generally so plump and close; but it is considered finer flavored. Both varieties are, however, held in great estimation.

Grayson's Giant

This variety, as also the Deptford, Mortlake, and Reading, all originated and were named under the same conditions as the varieties before described. All are fine sorts; but the difference between them, and indeed between all of the kinds, if important, is certainly not permanent, so long as they are offered in the form of seeds for propagation.

Mr. Grayson, the originator of this variety, produced a hundred sprouts, the aggregate weight of which was forty­ two pounds,--the largest ever raised in Britain.

German

This variety resembles the Giant Purple-topped, but is a little earlier, and the top is deeper colored.

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Giant Purple-Top. Dutch. Red-Top.

Sprout white; the top, as it breaks ground, purple; size very large, sometimes measuring an inch and three fourths in diameter, but greatly affected by soil and cultivation.

A hundred sprouts of this variety have been produced, which weighed twenty-five pounds.

Green-Top.

This variety, when grown under the same con­ditions as the Giant Purple-top, is generally smaller or more slender. The top of the sprout and the scales on the sides are often slightly tinged with purple. The plant, when full grown, is perceptibly more green than that of the Giant Purple-top. From most nursery-beds plants of both varie­ties will probably be obtained, with every intervening grade of size and color.