CLEAN, rich, light loam soil that will not pack or bake is required for asparagus. A good heavy sod plowed under is good, as it makes a bottom for the roots to feed on. It requires strong, coarse manure under it; and as large stalks are the requisite in order to obtain high prices, the roots should have plenty of room to spread. The roots, after 6 or 8 years, will have grown 8 to 12 feet in all directions and 3 to 4 inches thick, all matted together. If planted closely, small, spindling shoots will result. By planting a good distance apart, as many shoots cannot be cut from the same ground, but the sprouts being larger, more bunches will be secured. These heavy ones sell more readily, and at twice or three times the price of the light weights, and cost less to cultivate, cut and bunch.

Plough the ground thoroughly, and deeply. Strike out a deep furrow 5 feet each way - 6 feet is better if you want your bed to improve and last for years - making your crossings about 10 or 12 inches deep. Then put in plenty of good coarse manure, tread it well down and cover with about 2 inches of soil. Set the roots on this, spreading them well. They should be 6 or 8 inches below the surface. Then throw a furrow over them, from one side. When the rows become weedy or need covering, throw a furrow on from the other side, thus killing the weeds and keeping the ground loose. All the attention the plants require is that the ground be kept clean and loose. After the roots are well started, give a good dressing of stable manure, and plow in between the rows, using care not to wound the crowns.

In putting out, use 1 year old roots; the best varieties are Conover's Colossal and Lesher's Mammoth. The depth, 6 or 8 inches, is to allow of light plowing over the plants, or cultivation in the spring without injury. In order to strengthen them, let the plants go to seed ; but before the seeds are ripe, mow off and burn, as the seed will stock the ground with young plants, like weeds. At the last ploughing or cleaning, plough in a good coat of manure and sow rye, lotting it grow large enough to cover the ground The rye keeps the ground warm and prevents the surface from blowing away in winter. Plow the rye under in spring, as a fertilizer. The second spring give a dressing of guano, hen manure, or bone; cultivate it in and plough up the middle, using stable manure between the rows and covering it well. The cutting will last about 4 weeks, after which apply manure and clean out all weeds and grass, so as to get a strong growth of roots for the next season. If cut too late, the root is weakened. To hasten the plants in spring, throw a light furrow away from each side of the crown, to let in the sun and air.

After cutting two weeks, throw the furrow back again to destroy the weeds and loosen the soil.

Good strong Cuba bass is best for tying. Put one 3 inches from the top, another 4 inches below. Use a bunching mold to make the bunches uniform in size, and tie tightly, so that they will not loosen in transportation. The beads should all be even, and the butts all cut off square. Cull the sprouts, taking out all small or crooked ones, which may be put in bunches and sold as cullings.

Get a knife made at the blacksmith's of sheet steel 1/16 of an inch thick, 1½ inches wide, and 15 inches long. Bend it lengthwise like a carpenter's gouge, put on a handle and grind the round side off about 1 inch back from the end, so as to have the cutting edge on the inside of the knife. Leave the outer corner 1/8 inch wide without sharpening, but grind it off to prevent injuring adjacent sprouts. The bunches should be 8 to 9 inches long and 4½ across the butt. Asparagus can be cut when 3 inches above the ground, but is better when 5 or 6 inches long, as the green part is all that is eaten. But it is necessary to leave on some of the white butt as it holds the moisture and makes a solid bunch to tie and handle. In cutting, take the sprout in the fingers, run the knife down close to it, the hollow side next the sprout. When at the proper depth, slant the knife by moving the hand away and cut off the sprout Cut all spindling sprouts, as they check the growth of the larger ones. The sprouts should then be washed by dipping the butts in clean water, but do not wet the crown, as the water mixes with the gum in the crown and hastens decay in the bunch.

For shipping, make crates as follows, to hold two dozen bunches: The two ends and one middle piece are 12 inches wide, 18 inches long and ¾ inch thick ; bore four one-inch holes near the top of the end piece for handles. Use half-inch boards for bottom and 6 inches up on each side. Make the bottoms entire. Or the crate may be 30 inches long, with slats 1½ or 2 inches wide and the same length as the bottom, for upper part of sides and top, with spaces between for ventilation. Place 2 inches of thoroughly wetted moss or grass in the bottom of the crate; then stand the bunches butts down on it, crowding them close together. When full, crowd the bunches together again. This will keep the butts moist and the heads and tops cool. Leave a space of one inch or more between the heads and cover for ventilation. To raise the young roots, plough the ground deeply, run out furrows two feet apart, fill with well rotted manure ; turn a furrow over the manure and drop the seed two or three inches apart in the rows, in a straight line, Cover the seed about ½ inch deep and tread down. When the plants are up, clean them out, and thin to about 4 inches; keep the ground clean and loose by the frequent use of some good fertilizer.

One pound contains 10.000 seeds.

S. B. Conover.