ASPARAGUS, in gardening, comprehends one of the most valuable esculent vegeta bles of the kitchen-garden ; it has erect, herbaceous stalks, three or four feet in height, and very fine bristly leaves : it is a perennial fibrous-rooted vegetable, the roots being of many years duration, but the tops or stalks annual. The plants be ing raised from seed, after having ac quired a period of three or four years growth, produce proper sized asparagus, of which the same roots furnish an annual supply for many years, continuing to rise in perfection for six or eight weeks in the summer season ; the shoots afterwards run up to stalks and flowers, and perfect seeds in autumn. But, besides the crop raised in the summer season, it may also be obtain ed in perfection during the winter, and early in the spring, by the aid of hot-beds-.
Asparagus is always three years at least from the time of sowing the seed, before the plants obtain strength enough to pro duce shoots of due size for the table ; that is, one year in the seed-bed, and two af ter being transplanted, though it is some times three or four years after planting before they produce good full-sized shoots. But the same bed or plantation
will continue producing good asparagus ten or twelve years, and even endure fif teen or twenty years. However, at that age the shoots are generally small, and the whole annual produce inconsiderable. A new plantation should, therefore, be made every eight, ten, or twelve years, as may be judged necessary. When new plantations of asparagus are required to be raised in the quickest manner for use, it should be done by purchasing ready raised year-old plants of the nursery-men or kitchen-gardeners, as in this way a year may be gained.
AsrAttesos, in chemistry. This plant has been lately analyzed: the filtered juice had the appearance of whey, and reddened the infusion of litmus. When heated, it deposited flakes, which were considered as albumen. When left a long time to evaporate in the open air, a quan tity of asparagin, and of saccharine mat ter, having the appearance of manna, se parated in crystals. See ASPARAGIN.