I was much pleased and interested on reading an article in No. 2
CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Anything tending to the increased cultivation
of Asparagus is very desirable, on account of its delicate flavor, its
great earliness, the ease with which it is cultivated when once
established, and its very valuable dietetic qualities; and with regard
to the latter, it may not be generally known that it possesses medical
virtues of an undoubted value, especially in the Spring-time, after a
long Winter, when in many cases the diet has largely consisted of salt
meats and “hard tack.”
This delicious vegetable has been a specialty with me for many years.
The writer of the article above alluded to, says it is a marine plant,
and requires salt as a manure. Knowing that, and reasoning by analogy, I
made many experiments upon the use of saline manures for this plant, and
as the result of these, have been in the habit of adding one pound of
sulphate of magnesia to each peck of salt, as an annual dressing, with
marked increase in size, and especially a heightened color of the rich
bronze-green on the tops. This mixture, with plenty of leached ashes,
lime in any shape, preferably in the form of gypsum, applied in the
Spring, and last year’s hot-bed as a top-dressing in the Fall, has
always given me satisfactory results. One year, after a long sickness,
there was a large quantity of “Tidman’s sea salt” left over, which had
been purchased to use for sea water baths; this went on to the Asparagus
bed, and I honestly believe it did the plants more good than the baths
did to my patient. If iodine could be got in a cheap form, I should like
to try a dressing of that, being well assured it would be of benefit in
a land so far removed from the sea. They who live in the maritime
provinces might manure with sea-weed.
I find the safest time for forking over the bed is generally, in this
locality, about the end of April, when the frost has left the upper four
or five inches of the ground, and yet remains lower down; there is no
fear of injuring the roots at this period, and you can dig straight away
without trembling for the crowns.
One word about cutting low, or cutting high. My practice is to cut an
inch or so below the surface, for if you cut only the green, eatable
part, the underground stem goes on growing above the surface, and there
is gradually produced a lot of hard unsightly stubs all over the bed,
which are greatly in the way of subsequent cuttings. There is
practically no risk of dividing unseen heads by this method, if the
stems are cut with brains and a common jack-knife. Another thing,
however indecorous it may be, a good many really do like to take hold of
the white piece in their fingers to eat it by; very shocking, but it is
true. And again, there can be no manner of doubt that it sells better
bunched up white and green. Lastly, if you have to cook it yourself you
will find the benefit of a piece of hard stock at the bottom, “_me crede
experto_.”
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