y in the same soil under the
same conditions and at the same time. Calling those plantings Nos. 1, 2,
and 3, the following are the results obtained:

_First Year._--No. 1.--All the stools came up before May 4th, and
were well grown.

No. 2.--Ten stools showed above ground before May 4th, one on the
10th, and one appeared to be dead. The asparagus heads were very
fine--finer, indeed, than those of No. 1.

No. 3.--Eight stools showed above ground before May 4th, one on the
12th, and three gave no signs of life. The heads were very fine at
first, but they became bent toward the end of the year (September
15th), and were much weaker than those of No. 2.

* * * * *

_Second Year._--No. 1.--Well-grown, regular, and strong heads,
which measured on September 15th one inch in circumference.

No. 2.--Well-grown but irregular heads, somewhat weaker than those
of No. 1.

No. 3.--Only pretty well-grown heads, very irregular, some of the
stools having as many as eight or ten, but all very weak. One stool
died after growing two heads.

* * * * *

_Third Year._--No. 1.--Magnificent growths, the heads measuring on
April 10th from two inches to three and one-quarter inches in
circumference.

No. 2.--Growth passable only, but very irregular. Some of the
stools were very small. The finest of them produced heads which
from April 8th to 10th only measured two and one-half inches in
circumference.

No. 3.--Growth very poor and very irregular. Some of the stools
continued to produce small heads not much thicker than a quill pen,
the largest being from one and one-half inch to two inches in
circumference.

* * * * *

_Fourth Year._--No. 1.--Growth very remarkable. The heads began to
show on April 3d, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 10th. Some were from three and
one-quarter inches to four inches in circumference, and measured
four and three-quarter inches. Fifty of the heads formed a bundle
which weighed seven pounds.

No. 2.--Growth passable, but later than No. 1. The heads made their
first appearance on April 6th, 10th, and 11th. Many of them were
very small; fifty of them barely made half a bundle, and only
weighed three and three-quarter pounds.