Asparagus And Its Culture

There is no vegetable more sought after in its season in our cities than asparagus ; nor is there one which commauds a higher price when scarco. It has been stated that asparagus is of but little if any valuó in animal economy ; but such is not the fact. It is extreniely valuable to persons atflicted with rheumatisin, is said to be of gieat use in correcting a tendency to stone in tho bladder, and also is supposed to be of valué to persons threatened with paral ysis. Mauy persons, and especially farmors, are prevented frora planting thisesculeat, fir8t trom the fact that three years mut elapse before it becomes produotive, aud alRO from the added supposition that great expense is eutailed in preparing a plantation. Suoh, however, is not the case, if planted on deeply plowed and thoroughly manured land, in rows three feet apart by one foot in the row, the crowns being set five inches below the surface, and kept clean aud annually manured with thoroughly rotten manure, slightly forked in ; añd if salt is applied at the rate of two quarts to each square rod of land, the third year will give a fair erop of stalks, and, thereafter, the plantatiou will get better up to the eighth or ninth year, and continuo uninipaired for a lifetime. We have seen excellent asparagus raised on the farm without especial manuring, in four feet rows ; with annual manuring it has continued to give uniform crops, sudplying at slight cost, au addition to the family faro that, once oxperienced, would never be dispensed with thereafter. Many persons who havo never grown this edible, contract a dislike to it from seeing the blanched specimens as servcd up at hotel tables ; and with good reason since they get little else, except the tips, than a mass of indigestible fiber., When however such persons come to eat asparagus that has been allowed to attain a height of six inches above ground, and then cut at the surface, using the green portion, the feeling will be one of gratifleation. _ This green portion is really the only part fit to be eaten. Fashion long since decided tbat asparagus must be cut be low ground, and, as a consequeuce, the public has blindly followed. This is fast being changtíd. People are finding out that, although gardeners are willing to bow to public prejudice, they are careful to serve upon their own tables only the green portion. Let, therefore, all who have not already done o, plant an ampie bed, care well for it, and eat freely of 1 this valuable plant in aeaaon. - Western Rural.