file was produced from images produced by ,core ,historical ,literature in ,agriculture 7,,chla71 ,cornell ,university7 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999 99 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,obvious typos were fixed and use of hyphens was 99 99 normalized throughout1 but all other spelling and punctuation was 99 99 retained as it appeared in the original text4 99 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999 ,,asparagus ,,its ,,culture ,,for ,,home ,,use ,,and ,,for ,,market ,a ,,practical ,,treatise ,,on ,,the ,,planting1 ,,cultivation1 ,,harvesting1 ,,marketing1 ,,and ,,preserving ,,of ,,asparagus1 ,,with ,,notes ,,on ,,its ,,history ,,and ,,botany ,,by ,f4 ,m4 ,,hexamer ,,illustrated ,,new ,,york ,,orange ,,judd ,,company #aiad ,printed in ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,illustration3 ,,beginning ,,of ,,the ,,asparagus ,,industry ,,in ,,california ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,,page ,,preface vi ,i4 ,historical ,sketch #a ,,ii4 ,botany #d ,,iii4 ,cultural ,varieties #ag ,,iv4 ,seed ,growing #bf ,v4 ,the ,raising of ,plants #cj ,,vi4 ,selection of ,plants #ch ,,vii4 ,the ,soil and ,its ,preparation #dc ,,viii4 ,planting #di ,,ix4 ,cultivation #fa ,x4 ,fertilizers and ,fertilizing #gb ,,xi4 ,harvesting and ,marketing #hc ,,xii4 ,forcing #ajj ,,xiii4 ,preserving ,asparagus #aab ,,xiv4 ,injurious ,insects #abf ,,xv4 ,fungus ,diseases #acg ,,xvi4 ,asparagus ,culture in ,different ,localities #ade ,,index #afg ,,illustrations ,beginning of the ,asparagus ,industry in ,california ,frontispiece ,,page ,asparagus ,plumosus ,nanus #e ,asparagus ,sprengeri #g ,asparagus ,laricinus #i ,asparagus ,racemosus1 var4 ,tetragonus #aa ,asparagus ,sarmentosus #ab ,crown1 ,roots1 ,buds1 ,spear #ad ,stem1 ,leaves1 ,flowers1 ,berries #ad ,flowers #ae ,palmetto ,asparagus #ba ,pot-,grown ,plant #cg ,horizontal ,development of ,roots #ea ,trenches ,ready for ,planting #eg ,hudson's ,trencher #eh ,root in ,proper ,position for ,covering #ei ,cross-section of ,trenches ,after ,planting #fj ,asparagus ,field ,ridged in ,early ,spring #fg ,leveling the ,ridges ,after ,cutting ,season #fi ,fertilized ,asparagus ,plot #ge ,unfertilized ,asparagus ,plot #gg ,basket of ,asparagus #he ,cutting and ,picking ,up ,asparagus #hf ,horse ,carrier for ,ten ,boxes #hg ,asparagus ,knives #hi ,end and ,side ,view of ,white ,asparagus ,bunches #ij ,conover's ,asparagus ,buncher #ia ,watt's ,asparagus ,buncher #ib ,rack and ,knives ,used in ,new ,england #ic ,at the ,bunching ,table #id ,box of ,giant ,asparagus #ig ,southern ,asparagus ,crate #ih ,tunnel for ,forcing ,steam ,through the ,soil #ajg ,a ,long ,island ,asparagus ,cannery #aac ,sterilizing ,tank #aae ,sterilizing ,room #aag ,interior ,view of a ,california ,asparagus ,cannery #aai ,perspective ,view of a ,california ,asparagus ,cannery #aba ,cannery in ,asparagus ,fields #abc ,common ,asparagus ,beetle #abg ,asparagus ,attacked by ,beetles #abi ,spotted ,ladybird #aca ,twelve-spotted ,asparagus ,beetle #acd ,asparagus ,stems ,affected with ,rust #ach ,portion of ,rusted ,asparagus ,stems #aci ,asparagus ,field on ,bouldin ,island #afa ,,preface ,the cultivation of asparagus for home use as well as for market is so rapidly increasing1 and reliable information pertaining to it is so frequently asked for1 that a book on this subject is evidently needed4 ,while all works on vegetable culture treat more or less extensively on its cultivation1 so far there has been no book exclusively devoted to asparagus published in ,america4 ,asparagus is one of the earliest1 most delicious1 and surest products of the garden4 ,its position among other vegetables is unique1 and when once planted it lasts a lifetime2 it may be prepared for use in great variety1 and may be canned or dried so as to be available at any time of the year2 and yet in the great majority of farm gardens it is almost unknown4 ,the principal reason for this neglect is based upon the erroneous idea that asparagus culture requires unusual skill1 expense1 and hard work4 ,while this was true1 in a measure1 under old-time rules1 modern methods have so simplified every detail connected with the cultivation of asparagus as to make it not necessarily more expensive and laborious than that of any other garden crop4 ,to describe and make clear these improved methods1 to demonstrate how easily and inexpensively an asparagus bed may be had in every garden1 and how much pleasure1 health1 and profit may be derived from the crop have been the principal inducements to writing this book4 ,in a popular treatise on so widely distributed a vegetable as asparagus1 the cultivation of which had been brought to a high state of development many centuries before the ,christian era1 there is little opportunity for originality4 ,all that the author has endeavored in this little volume has been to collect1 arrange1 classify1 and systematize all obtainable facts1 compare them with his own many years' experience in asparagus culture1 and present his inferences in a plain and popular manner4 ,free use has been made of all available literature1 especially helpful among which has been the ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #fa of the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 by ,r4 ,b4 ,handy2 also bulletins of the ,missouri1 ,new ,york1 ,ohio1 ,new ,jersey1 ,north ,carolina1 ,maryland1 ,massachusetts1 and ,south ,carolina and other experiment stations2 the files of ,american ,agriculturist2 ,gardener's ,chronicle1 from which descriptions of several ornamental species by ,william ,watson were condensed2 ,thome's ,flora von ,deutschland2 ,eintraegliche ,spargelzucht1 von ,franz ,goeschke2 ,braunschweiger ,spargelbuch1 von ,dr4 ,ed4 ,brinckmeier2 ,parks and ,gardens of ,paris1 by ,william ,robinson2 ,asparagus ,culture1 by ,james ,barnes and ,william ,robinson2 ,les ,plantes ,potageres1 by ,vilmorin-,andrieux2 the works of ,peter ,henderson1 ,thomas ,bridgeman1 ,j4 ,c4 ,loudon1 and others4 ,the author desires to express his grateful acknowledgments to ,mr4 ,herbert ,myrick1 editor-in-chief of ,american ,agriculturist and allied publications1 for critically reading the whole manuscript2 to ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,johnson1 ,charles ,v4 ,mapes1 ,c4 ,l4 ,allen1 ,a4 ,d4 ,mc,nair1 ,superintendent ,southern ,pines ,experimental ,farm2 ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,massey1 ,robert ,w4 ,nix1 ,robert ,hickmott1 ,charles ,w4 ,prescott1 ,joel ,borton1 and all others who by their help1 suggestions1 and advice have aided him in the preparation of this work4 ,f4 ,m4 ,,hexamer4 ,new ,york1 #aija4 ,,asparagus ,i ,,historical ,,sketch ,the word asparagus is said to be of ,persian origin4 ,in middle ,latin it appears as sparagus2 ,italian1 sparajio2 old ,french1 esperaje2 old ,english1 sperage1 sparage1 sperach4 ,the middle ,latin form1 sparagus1 was in ,english changed into sparagrass1 sparrow-grass1 and sometimes simply grass1 terms which were until recently in good literary use4 ,in modern ,french it is asperge2 ,german1 spargel2 ,dutch1 aspergie2 ,spanish1 esperrago4 ,the original habitat of the edible asparagus is not positively known1 as it is now found naturalized throughout ,europe1 as well as in nearly all parts of the civilized world4 ,how long the plant was used as a vegetable or as a medicine is likewise uncertain1 but that it was known and highly prized by the ,romans at least two centuries before the ,christian era is historically recorded4 ,according to ,pliny1 the ,romans were already aware of the difference in quality1 that grown near ,ravenna being considered best1 and was so large that three spears weighed one pound4 ,the elder ,cato has treated the subject with still greater care4 ,he advises the sowing of the seed of asparagus in the beds of vine-dressers' reeds1 which are cultivated in ,italy for the support of the vines1 and that they should be burned in the spring of the third year1 as the ashes would act as a manure to the future crop4 ,he also recommends that the plants be renewed after eight or nine years4 ,the usual method of preparing asparagus pursued by the ,roman cooks was to select the finest sprouts and to dry them4 ,when wanted for the table they were put in hot water and cooked a few minutes4 ,to this practice is owing one of ,emperor ,augustus's favorite sayings3 ,citius quam asparagi coquentur 7,do it quicker than you can cook asparagus74 ,while the indigenous asparagus has been used from time immemorial as a medicine by ,gauls1 ,germans1 and ,britons1 its cultivation and use as a vegetable was only made known to the people by the invading ,roman armies4 ,but in the early part of the sixteenth century it was mentioned among the cultivated garden vegetables1 and ,leonard ,meager1 in his ,english ,gardener1 published in #afhc1 informs us that in his time the ,london market was well supplied with forced asparagus4 ,the medicinal virtues formerly attributed to asparagus comprise a wide range4 ,the roots1 sprouts1 and seeds were used as medicine4 ,the fresh roots are diuretic1 perhaps owing to the immediate crystalizable principle1 asparagine1 which is said to be sedative in the dose of a few grains4 ,a syrup made of the young shoots and an extract of the roots has been recommended as a sedative in heart affections1 and the species diuretica--a mixture of asparagus1 celery1 parsley1 holly1 and sweet fennel--was a favorite preparation for use in dropsy and gravel4 ,among the ,greeks and ,romans it was one of the oldest and most valued medicines1 and to which most absurd virtues were attributed4 ,it was believed that if a person anointed himself with a liniment made of asparagus and oil the bees would not approach or sting him4 ,it was also believed that if the root be put on a tooth which aches violently it causes it to come out without pain4 ,the therapeutic virtues of asparagus seem to have been held in almost as high esteem by the ancients as those of ginseng are esteemed by the ,chinese to this day4 ,,ii ,,botany ,the genus ,asparagus belongs to the ,lily ,family4 ,it comprises about one hundred and fifty species1 and these are spread through the temperate and tropical regions of the ,old ,world4 ,one-half of these species are indigenous to ,south ,africa1 and it is from this region that the most ornamental of the greenhouse species have been obtained4 ,all the species are perennial1 with generally fleshy roots or tubers4 ,the stems are annual in some1 perennial in others1 most of them being spiny1 climbing shrubs1 growing to a length of from five to twenty or even fifty feet4 ,the true leaves are usually changed into spines1 which are situated at the base of the branches and are often stout and woody4 ,the false leaves1 termed cladodia1 are the linear or hair-like organs which are popularly called leaves2 they are in reality modified branches4 ,these cladodia are nearly always arranged in clusters at intervals along the branches1 and the flowers generally spring from their axils4 ,they usually fall off the hardy species in winter1 and they are easily affected by unfavorable conditions in all the species4 ,most of them flower and fruit freely under cultivation1 so that seeds are available for propagation4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b--;,,asparagus ,,plumosus ,,nanus ,,ornamental ,,species ,a4 medeoloides 7,myrsiphyllum asparagoides71 popularly known as ,smilax4--,for many years this has been1 and is yet1 one of the most commonly grown and the most serviceable of the plants used by florists as green4 ,it is readily grown from seed in the greenhouse4 ,while a few other species of asparagus have been close rivals1 it is yet unexcelled for many purposes of floral decorations4 ,a4 plumosus 7the plumy asparagus74--,a very graceful climbing plant which for finer decoration has largely taken the place of smilax1 its foliage being finer than that of the most delicate ferns1 and will last for weeks after being cut4 ,the whole plant is of a bright1 cheerful green4 ,its branches spread horizontally1 and branch again in such a manner as to form a flat1 frond-like arrangement1 the leaves being very numerous1 in clusters of about a dozen1 bright green1 and one-half inch long4 ,a native of ,south ,africa1 where it climbs over bushes and branches in moist situations4 ,there are several named varieties of this1 most of which have originated in gardens4 ,the most distinct are ,a4 tenuissimus and ,a4 plumosus nanus1 the fern-like appearance of which is seen in ,fig4 #b4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c--;,,asparagus ,,sprengeri ,a4 ,sprengeri4--,this is one of the best and most attractive house plants of recent introduction4 ,it is of graceful form and habit when grown as a pot plant1 but it is equally well suited for planting in hanging baskets4 ,its fronds are frequently four feet long1 of a rich shade of green1 and very useful for cutting1 retaining their freshness for weeks after being cut4 ,as a house plant it has exceeded expectations1 as it stands dry atmosphere better than the older kinds of ornamental asparagus1 and is not particular as to any special position4 ,it delights in a well-enriched soil1 rather light in composition1 with plenty of drainage1 and grows very rapidly4 ,it is decidedly pretty when in bloom1 its little flowers being pure white on short racemes1 and the anthers are of a bright orange color4 ,fig4 #c gives a good idea of its graceful habit4 ,a4 falcatus4--,one of the most striking twining plants for a large1 temperate house4 ,at the ,kew ,gardens1 in ,london1 ,england1 is an enormous specimen of this species which is trained against the northern staircase1 where it has formed a perfect thicket two yards through and twenty-five feet high1 of long1 rope-like1 intertwining1 spinous1 fawn-colored stems1 some of them fully fifty feet long1 and clothed with wiry1 woody branches1 bearing whorls of leaves from two to three inches long and nearly one-fourth of an inch wide1 falcate and bright green4 ,the young stems are thick and succulent and gray-green1 mottled with brown4 ,for large conservatories1 and particularly in moist1 shady corners1 where ordinary climbers will not thrive1 this is an ideal plant4 ,it is a native of the tropics of ,asia and ,africa1 as well as the ,cape4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d--;,,asparagus ,,laricinus ,a4 laricinus 7,fig4 #d74--,this handsome species has been in the ,kew collection at least twenty years4 ,it is grown in the succulent house1 where1 from a vigorous root system1 it sends up annual stout succulent shoots1 which grow to a length of about twelve feet1 and when fully developed are decidedly ornamental4 ,the stems are perennial1 terete1 dark brown1 woody1 one-half inch in diameter at the base1 very spinous1 freely branched1 and branches zigzag and gray1 the leaves in clusters one-fourth inch apart1 hair-like1 one and one-half inches long1 bright green1 persistent4 ,flowers axillary1 many in a cluster1 small1 campanulate1 white4 ,berries globose1 dull red1 one seeded1 one-sixth of an inch in diameter4 ,common in various parts of ,south ,africa4 ,it is an excellent pillar plant4 ,a4 racemosus4--,this species is spread throughout the tropics of ,africa and ,asia2 the ,cape form of it is represented at ,kew under the name of variety tetragonus1 as shown in ,fig4 #e4 ,this is a vigorous grower1 with woody stems nine feet long1 prickly at the base1 fawn colored1 freely branching above1 each branch having at its base a sharp spine three-quarters of an inch long4 ,the leaves are of a gray-green hue1 four-angled1 one-quarter of an inch long4 ,flowers in racemes two inches long1 whitish1 very fragrant4 ,berry red1 globose1 pulpy1 one-seeded4 ,an excellent climber for rafters1 pillars1 etc41 growing vigorously under ordinary treatment4 ,its root system is a dense mass of tubers4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #e--;,,asparagus ,,racemosus1 ,,var4 ,,tetragonus ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #f--;,,asparagus ,,sarmentosus ,a4 sarmentosus 7,fig4 #f74--;,an elegant evergreen species from ,south ,africa1 where it grows freely in moist situations1 forming dense1 brushy stems with short prickles1 and studded with white1 starry1 fragrant flowers1 which are followed with bright scarlet1 pea-like berries2 has stems four feet high1 freely branched and clothed with dark green flat leaves three inches long4 ,it is also grown in pots and baskets for the ,cape-house1 and when in flower it is greatly admired4 ,a4 ,broussoneti4--,a beautiful hardy perennial climber from the ,canary ,islands1 growing ten feet high2 feathery foliage and scarlet berries4 ,in the autumn this is very ornamental4 ,among the most noteworthy of other ornamental species are3 ,a4 ,aethiopicus1 ,africanus1 ,asiaticus1 ,cooperi1 crispus1 declinatus1 decumbens1 lucidus1 retrofractus1 scandens1 tenuifolius1 trichophyllus1 umbellatus1 verticillatus1 virgatus1 etc41 etc4 ,,edible ,,species ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #g--;,,asparagus ,,crown1 ,,roots1 ,,buds1 ,,and ,,spear ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #h--;,,asparagus ,,stem1 ,,leaves1 ,,flowers1 ,,and ,,berries ,asparagus officinalis4--,while the young sprouts of a few other species may be used as food1 this is the only one which has found a permanent place in cultivation4 ,it is a branching1 herbaceous plant1 reaching a hight of from three to seven feet2 the filiform branchlets1 three to seven inches long1 less than one-quarter inch thick1 are mostly clustered in the axils of minute scales4 ,the rootstock1 or crown1 is perennial1 and makes a new growth each year of from one to three inches1 extending horizontally1 and generally in a straight line4 ,it may propagate from both ends1 or from only one1 but in either case the older part of root stalk becomes unproductive and finally dies4 ,fig4 #g shows the new portion of the rootstock crowned with buds for the production of new shoots1 while the older portion bears the scars and dead scales of previous growths4 ,from the sides and the lower part of the rootstock numerous cylindrical1 fleshy roots start and extend several feet horizontally1 but do not penetrate the soil deeply4 ,in the course of time the older roots become hollow and inactive without becoming detached from the rootstock4 ,the young root formation always takes place a little above the old roots1 which circumstance explains why the asparagus plants gradually rise above the original level1 thus necessitating the annual hilling up or the covering of the crowns with additional soil4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #i ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aj ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aa ,the asparagus flowers are mostly solitary at the nodes1 of greenish-yellow color1 drooping or filiform1 jointed peduncles2 perianth1 six-parted1 campanulate1 as seen in ,fig4 #h4 ,anthers1 introrse2 style1 short2 stigma1 three-lobed2 berry1 red1 spherical1 three-celled2 cells1 two-seeded4 ,while the flowers are generally dioecious--staminate and pistillate flowers being borne on different plants--there appear also hermaphrodite flowers1 having both pistils and fully developed stamens in the same flower4 ,fig4 #i shows a pistillate1 ,fig4 #aj a staminate1 and ,fig4 #aa a hermaphrodite or bisexual flower4 ,in one case1 at least1 the author has also observed that a plant which has been barren of seed at first changed into a seed-bearing plant the following year4 ,similar changes in the sexuality of strawberries have been observed under certain conditions4 ,these facts may explain1 in a measure1 the difficulty experienced in raising permanently sterile asparagus plants4 ,asparagus acutifolius4--,a native of ,southern ,europe and ,northern ,africa4 ,it has a fleshy rootstock1 hard1 wiry1 brown stems1 five to seven feet high1 with rigid branches three to six inches long1 thickly closed1 with tufts of gray-green1 hair-like1 rigid leaves1 which in exposed situations are almost spinous4 ,flowers yellow1 a quarter of an inch in diameter1 fragrant4 ,the young sprouts are tender1 and1 when cooked1 of a peculiar aromatic flavor4 ,in their native home they are used like the cultivated kind4 ,a4 aphyllus4--,indigenous to ,greece1 where the young shoots are commonly used as food1 especially during ,lent4 ,,iii ,,cultural ,,varieties ,although but one species of edible asparagus has found its way into general cultivation1 many varieties and strains are recognized4 ,up to within a comparatively recent period it was thought that there existed only one distinct kind1 or variety1 of asparagus4 ,as late as #ahfi so keen an observer as ,peter ,henderson believed that the asparagus of our gardens is confined to only one variety1 and the so-called giant can be made gigantic or otherwise1 just as we will it1 and the purple top variety will become a green top whenever the composition of the soil is not of the kind to develop the purple1 and vice versa4 ,all practical gardeners know how different soils and climates change the appearance of the same variety4 ,seeds of cabbage taken from the same bag and sown at the same time1 but planted out in soils of light sandy loam1 heavy clayey loam1 and peat or leaf-mold1 will show such marked differences when at maturity as easily to be pronounced different sorts4 ,this1 no doubt1 is the reason why the multitude of varieties of all vegetables1 when planted side by side to test them1 are so wonderfully reduced in number4 ,but after inspecting an acre of ordinary asparagus and an acre of ,abraham ,van ,siclen's ,colossal--which was afterward introduced as ,conover's ,colossal--at ,jamaica1 ,l4 ,i41 ,n4 ,y41 ,mr4 ,henderson wrote3 ,a thorough inspection of the roots of each lot proved that they were of the same age when planted4 ,the soil was next examined1 and found to be as near the same as could be1 yet these two beds of asparagus showed a difference that no longer left me a shadow of a doubt of their being entirely different varieties4 ,in but few vegetables do the conditions of soil1 locality1 mode of cultivation1 and other circumstances affect the quality1 size1 and appearance as much as in asparagus4 ,it is therefore difficult to distinguish fixed and permanent varieties from mere local strains and forms secured by selection4 ,through natural and artificial selection1 through use of seed of strong shoots from superior roots1 there has been improvement in the size and yield of asparagus2 from the peculiar adaptability of soil and climate1 and the effect of manure and high cultivation1 there have appeared certain variations in the product of different beds which have led to the bestowing of a new name2 but the effect of this care and these favorable conditions is not sufficiently strong to produce distinct varieties with fixed characteristics4 ,therefore1 with correct and rational treatment of the plant from the time of seeding through all the stages of culture1 satisfactory results may be reached with almost any of the varieties on the market4 ,,american ,,varieties ,barr's ,mammoth 7,barr's ,philadelphia ,mammoth74--,originated with ,crawford ,barr1 a prominent market gardener of ,pennsylvania4 ,it is one of the earliest varieties1 is very productive1 and grows to the largest size4 ,in ,philadelphia it is much sought after1 and brings the highest prices4 ,conover's ,colossal 7,van ,siclen's ,colossal74--,originated with ,abraham ,van ,siclen1 of ,long ,island1 ,n4 ,y41 and was introduced by ,s4 ,b4 ,conover1 a commision merchant of ,west ,washington ,market1 ,new ,york ,city1 some thirty years ago4 ,the superiority of this variety over all other kinds known at that time made it soon supplant all other varieties1 and it is to this day better and more favorably known than any other sort4 ,columbian ,mammoth ,white4--,this was introduced by ,d4 ,m4 ,ferry ,co41 in #ahic4 ,the immense shoots are clear white1 and1 in favorable weather1 remain so until three or four inches above the surface1 without earthing up or any other artificial blanching4 ,the crown or bud of the young stalk is considerably smaller than the part just below it1 thus further distinguishing the variety4 ,all but a very few of the seedlings will produce clear white shoots1 and the green ones can be readily distinguished and rejected when planting the permanent bed4 ,donald's ,elmira4--,originated by ,a4 ,donald1 ,elmira1 ,n4 ,y41 and was first introduced by ,johnson ,stokes1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,this is characterized by the delicate green color of its stems1 different from any other kind4 ,its stalks are very tender and succulent1 while its size is all that can be desired4 ,eclipse 7,dreer's ,eclipse74--,a light green mammoth strain of excellent quality and attractive appearance4 ,the stalks1 not rarely1 measure two inches in diameter1 and even when twelve to fifteen inches long are perfectly tender and of a delicate light green color4 ,hub4--,originated in ,new ,hampshire several years ago1 and was introduced by ,joseph ,breck ,sons1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,although not generally catalogued1 it is a distinct and valuable variety that has made a decided record for itself in the tests of the ,kansas ,experiment ,station1 where its yield1 by weight1 was greater than any other4 ,mammoth4--,this is a somewhat indefinite term1 as almost any prominent seedsman and grower who has a particularly good and large strain of asparagus suffixes it to his own name4 ,among the best known of these are ,vick's ,mammoth1 ,maule's ,mammoth1 ,prescott's ,mammoth1 etc4 ,moore's ,cross-bred4--,this originated with ,j4 ,b4 ,moore1 who for twenty years was awarded the first prize on asparagus at the exhibitions of the ,massachusetts ,horticultural ,society1 at one of which the weight of twelve stalks was #d pounds #f-a_/d ounces4 ,it retains the head close until the stalks are quite long1 and is of uniform color1 while for tenderness and eating quality it is excelled by none4 ,it is particularly recommended for cultivation in ,new ,england4 ,palmetto4--,a variety of ,southern origin1 but suitable for the ,north also4 ,at the ,south it is somewhat earlier than ,conover's ,colossal1 but its great advantage is that it is almost destitute of1 what dealers call1 culls1 nearly all shoots being of a uniform and large size4 ,the bunch from which the engraving 7,fig4 #ab7 was made measured twenty-two inches in circumference1 and contained forty-eight stalks of nine inches in length and remarkably uniform in size4 ,it was taken on ,march #cjth from a field of fifty acres1 near ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c4 ,but the greatest point in its favor is its comparative security from the attacks of rust4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ab--;,,bunch ,,of ,,palmetto ,,asparagus ,purple ,top and ,green ,top4--,these were the only distinct sorts in cultivation before the introduction of ,conover's ,colossal1 but are now almost unknown to the trade and cultivators4 ,,european ,,varieties ,the named varieties of asparagus of ,european origin are very numerous1 as almost every locality in which asparagus is cultivated extensively and successfully has given its name to a strain more or less distinct4 ,generally these varieties differ only in a single characteristic1 and these differences1 for the most part1 are so little that they are lost when grown under different climatic and soil conditions4 ,the best-informed authorities recognize three cultivated varieties1 which have distinct commercial characteristics and whose seeds reproduce them in the seedlings4 ,german ,giant4--,this variety embraces most of the ,german and ,french sorts--the ,giant ,dutch ,purple1 ,ulm ,giant1 ,giant ,brunswick1 ,large ,erfurt1 ,early ,darmstadt1 and many others4 ,argenteuil4--,of this three sub-varieties are recognized--the early1 intermediate1 and late2 and these are the kinds grown almost exclusively in the vicinity of ,paris1 ,france1 where its culture and improvement have steadily developed for centuries4 ,under good culture the late ,argenteuil produces stalks from three to six inches in circumference1 at eight inches below the tips4 ,yellow ,burgundy4--,the distinctive characteristic of this variety is that the young shoots below the surface of the soil are light yellow instead of white to tips1 being greenish-yellow4 ,it is also claimed to be more rust-resisting than other ,european sorts4 ,,variety ,,tests ,to determine the comparative effects of manuring on different varieties of asparagus1 and also their comparative earliness1 ,prof4 ,s4 ,c4 ,mason and his assistant1 ,w4 ,l4 ,hall1 of the ,kansas ,experiment ,station1 have made some interesting and instructive experiments1 the results of which are given in ,bulletin #gj1 as follows3 ,the seed of ten varieties of asparagus was planted4 ,a good stand was secured1 and the young plants were cultivated during the summer in the usual way4 ,early the following spring the entire patch was dug up and the roots heeled in4 ,the same ground was then prepared for a permanent plantation1 by plowing it deeply and marking it with furrows four feet apart4 ,these furrows were made as deep as possible1 but after the loose soil had run back into them they were on the bottom hardly six inches below the level of the ground4 ,in these furrows the roots of the seedlings were planted 7#bdj feet of row for each variety71 making altogether a patch of #ce4be square rods1 or a little more than one-fifth of an acre 74#bb of an acre74 ,the plants were set about a foot apart in the row1 and covered only an inch or two above the crown1 leaving along the rows depressions some two inches deep1 which were gradually filled up during the summer1 by the many cultivations4 ,during the winter the stalks were cleared off1 but nothing was done with the patch in the spring more than to cut and note the earliest shoots1 the first cutting of which was made ,april #acth4 ,the patch was cultivated during summer as before1 except that the size of the plants interfered somewhat--many of the plants growing six feet high and correspondingly broad4 ,during the fall the north half of each variety was manured1 at the rate of fifty loads per acre1 with strong barnyard manure1 and in the spring the effect was noted4 ,the following table gives results as shown by the records of ten cuttings made the spring of #ahig1 from ,april #bjth to ,may #aith1 inclusive2 varieties averaged in order of yield3 ,,varieties ,,yields ,,in ,,pounds #bdj feet of row in each1 one-half manured --------------------------- and one-half unmanured ,manured,unmanured,total ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- #a ,hub #ca #bg #eh #b ,donald's ,elmira #bi #bi #eh #c ,vick's ,new ,mammoth #bf #bj #dg #d ,palmetto #bj #ah #ci #e ,moore's ,cross-bred #ai #ae #ce #f ,conover's ,colossal #af #ag #cc #g ,barr's ,philadelphia ,mammoth #ag #af #cc #h ,columbian ,mammoth ,white #ah #ac #cb #i ,dreer's ,eclipse #af #ad #cj #aj ,giant ,purple ,top #ae #ad #bi --------------------------- ,totals #bjg #ahc #cid ,of the two heaviest yielding varieties1 ,hub and ,donald's ,elmira1 the last named is the earliest1 though ,hub is also quite early4 ,as nearly as can be judged from the notes1 the ten varieties rank for earliness about as follows1 though all kinds yielded something at the first cutting3 #aj ,giant ,purple ,top4 #g ,barr's ,philadelphia ,mammoth4 #b ,donald's ,elmira4 #f ,conover's ,colossal4 #c ,vick's ,new ,mammoth4 #a ,the ,hub4 #i ,dreer's ,eclipse4 #d ,palmetto4 #e ,moore's ,cross-bred4 #h ,columbian ,mammoth ,white4 ,those included within a brace have little or no difference of season4 ,the numbers mark their rank with regard to yield1 #a being the highest4 ,the ground occupied by this plantation is a rather low bottom-land1 being built up of a clay silt from the former overflow of two creeks1 mixed with vegetable mold4 ,it is rather too compact for the best growth of asparagus1 as it contains very little sand4 ,,iv ,,seed ,,growing ,the asparagus plant begins to produce seed when two years old4 ,when fully developed the stalks are from five to six feet in hight1 with numerous branches upon which are produced a profusion of bright scarlet berries1 containing from three to six seeds each4 ,it is not advisable1 however1 to harvest seed from plants less than four years old4 ,to save the seed the stalks are cut close to the ground as soon as the berries are ripe1 which may be known by their changing color1 from green to scarlet1 and softening somewhat4 ,the entire stalks are then cut off1 tied in bundles1 and hung up in a dry place safe from the attacks of birds1 some kinds of which are very fond of this seed4 ,after the berries are fully dried they are stripped off by hand1 or thrashed upon a cloth or floor1 and separated from the chaff4 ,they are then soaked in water for a day or two to soften the skin and pulp of the berries1 after which they are rubbed between the hands1 or mashed with a wooden pounder1 to break the outer shells4 ,the separation of the pulp from the seed is accomplished by washing4 ,when placed in water the seeds will settle with the pulp and the shells will readily pass away in pouring off the water4 ,to clean the seeds thoroughly the washing has to be repeated three or four times4 ,it is then spread on boards or trays to dry in the sun and wind4 ,after the first day it should be removed from the sun1 but exposed to the air in a dry loft1 spread thin for ten days or more4 ,when thoroughly dried the seed is stored in linen or paper bags until needed4 ,when cheapness of the seed is the main consideration such promiscuous harvesting may be permissible1 but when only the best is desired careful selection and preparation becomes necessary4 ,even if the parent plants are of choice types1 not all the seeds from them are equally good4 ,the seed1 for instance1 which has been gathered from a stool which has flowered side by side with an inferior kind1 and at the same time1 may be worthless1 because it has been fertilized badly4 ,then the last heads generally yield nothing but doubtful seed which seldom reproduces the proper type4 ,the seeds which grow at the end of the shoots also1 as well as those produced by the upper and lower extremities of the stem1 have the same defect4 ,in order to insure the production of the very best asparagus seed a sufficient number of pistillate or seed-bearing plants1 which produce the strongest and best spears1 should be selected and marked so that they may be distinguished the following spring when the shoots appear4 ,these clumps should be close together and near some staminate or male plants which have to be marked likewise1 as without their presence fertile seed can not be produced4 ,the number of the male to the female plants should be about one to four or five4 ,the following spring all the sprouts of the selected male plants are allowed to grow without cutting any4 ,on each hill of the female plants the two strongest and earliest stalks are allowed to grow1 cutting the later appearing spears with the others for market or home use4 ,thus these early stalks of both male and female plants bloom together before any other stalks1 and the blooms on the female plants will be fertilized with the pollen of the selected male plants4 ,this last is of prime importance1 for on proper fertilization depends the purity of the seed as well as the vigor of the resultant plant4 ,not all seed of even a good plant properly fertilized should be used for reproduction1 as of the seeds gathered from any plant some will be better than others4 ,only the largest1 plumpest1 and best matured seeds should be used1 for by saving these the most nearly typical plants of the sort will be most certainly produced4 ,the selection of the best seed from typical plants is as essential to success as are good soil1 thorough cultivation1 and heavy manuring4 ,the best seeds are produced from the lower part of the stalk1 hence it is well to top the plant after the seed is well set1 taking off about ten inches1 and to remove the berries from the upper branches1 that all the strength may go to the full development of the more desirable berries4 ,if1 after this has been done1 there is more than sufficient seed for the purpose desired1 a second discrimination can be made between the seed of plants which produce numerous berries and those which are shy bearers1 the latter being desirable1 as this indicates a tendency in the plant to produce stalk rather than seed1 and it is as a stalk producer that asparagus is valuable4 ,harvesting1 cleaning1 and preserving the seed is1 of course1 to be done carefully2 the separation of the heavy and the light seeds can be accomplished by means of water1 while the larger can be selected from the resultant mass by the use of a properly meshed sieve4 ,v ,,the ,,raising ,,of ,,plants ,asparagus can be propagated by division of the roots1 but this method gives so unsatisfactory results that it is rarely practiced4 ,raising the plants from seed is therefore the only method worth considering4 ,the seed may be sown either in the fall or spring4 ,but far more important than the time for sowing is the quality of the seed4 ,while asparagus seed retains its vitality for two or more years1 it is not safe to use seed older than one year4 ,fresh seed may be recognized by its glossy black color and uniform smooth surface1 while old seed has a smutty gray color and its surface is generally rough and wrinkled4 ,yet even with this as a guide it is not easy to distinguish bad from good seed1 and still more difficult1 if not impossible1 is it to distinguish the seed of different varieties4 ,it is therefore advisable to procure seed only from dealers of undoubted reliability and pay a fair price for it rather than to accept poor seed as a gift4 ,a uniformity of the individual plants in the asparagus bed or field is a matter of prime importance2 only large1 fully developed seeds should be used1 screening out and rejecting all small and inferior ones4 ,in northern latitudes spring sowing is preferable to fall sowing4 ,the ground of the seed-bed should be well drained and fairly retentive of moisture4 ,as soon as the soil admits of working it should be well pulverized and enriched with decomposed manure4 ,on a small scale a spading-fork is the best implement for preparing soil for nursery rows of asparagus plants4 ,straight lines should be marked about fifteen inches apart and drills made about an inch deep when the sowing is done very early in the season1 and one-half to one inch deeper when the sowing is done later4 ,in these drills the seed should be dropped two or three inches apart4 ,the covering may be made with a hoe1 after which the soil should be well pressed down with the foot4 ,as the seed is slow to germinate--in from four to six weeks1 according to weather conditions--it is well to sow with it a few radish seeds1 which will soon appear and mark the lines of the drills1 so that cultivation may begin at once4 ,soaking the seed in luke-warm water for twenty-four hours before sowing will hasten its germination4 ,the cultivation of the young plants consists in keeping the soil about them light1 and free from grass and weeds4 ,most of this work can be done with a garden cultivator1 or a hoe and rake or prong hoe1 but some hand weeding is generally necessary in addition4 ,strict attention to this will save a year in time1 for if the seed-bed has been neglected1 it will take two years to get the plants as large as they should be in one year if they had been properly cared for4 ,in consequence of this very frequent neglect of proper cultivation of the seed-bed1 it is a common impression that the plants must be two years old before transplanting4 ,one pound of seed will produce about #aj1jjj plants1 but as many of these will have to be thinned out and poor ones rejected1 it is not safe to count upon more than one-half of this number of good plants4 ,the number of plants required for an acre varies according to the manner of planting4 ,if planted in rows three feet apart and two feet in the rows1 it will require #g1bfj plants per acre2 if planted three by four1 #c1fcj per acre4 ,,sowing ,,the ,,seed ,,where ,,the ,,plants ,,are ,,to ,,remain ,growing asparagus without transplanting is gradually finding many advocates among those who raise only the green article4 ,it is not only a cheaper but in some respects a better method than the raising of the plants in a special seed-bed1 from which they are transplanted after a year or two4 ,the plan is very simple1 wrote ,peter ,henderson in ,american ,agriculturist1 and can be followed by any one having even a slight knowledge of farming or gardening work4 ,in the fall prepare the land by manuring1 deep plowing1 and harrowing1 making it as level and smooth as possible for the reception of the seed4 ,strike out lines three feet apart and about two to three inches deep1 in which sow the seed by hand or seed-drill1 as is most convenient1 using from five to seven pounds of seed to each acre4 ,after sowing1 and before covering1 tread down the seed in the rows with the feet evenly2 then draw the back of the rake lengthwise over the rows1 after which roll the whole surface4 ,as soon as the land is dry and fit to work in the spring1 the young plants of asparagus will start through the ground1 sufficient to define the rows4 ,at once begin to cultivate with hand or horse cultivator1 and stir the ground so as to destroy the embryo weeds1 breaking the soil in the rows between the plants with the fingers or hand weeder for the same purpose4 ,this must be repeated at intervals of two or three weeks during the summer1 as the success of this plan is entirely dependent on keeping down the weeds1 which1 if allowed to grow1 would soon smother the asparagus plants1 that1 for the first season of their growth1 are weaker than most weeds4 ,in two or three months after starting1 the asparagus will have attained ten or twelve inches in hight1 and it must now be thinned out1 so that the plants stand nine inches apart in the rows4 ,by fall they will be from two to three feet in hight and1 if the directions for culture have been faithfully followed1 strong and vigorous4 ,when the stems die down 7but not before7 cut them off close to the ground1 and cover the lines for five or six inches on each side with two or three inches of rough manure4 ,the following spring renew cultivation1 and keep down the weeds the second year exactly as was done during the first1 and so on to the spring of the fourth year1 when a crop will be produced that will well reward all the labor that has been expended4 ,sometimes1 if the land is particularly suitable1 a marketable crop may be secured the third year1 but as a rule it will be better to wait until the fourth year before cutting much1 as this would weaken the plants4 ,to compensate for the loss of a year's time in thus growing asparagus from seed1 cabbage1 lettuce1 onions1 beets1 spinach or similar crops that will be marketable before the asparagus has grown high enough to interfere with them1 may be planted between the rows of asparagus the first year of its growth with but little injury to it4 ,,good ,,crops ,,two ,,years ,,from ,,seed ,in answer to the many inquiries as to how asparagus can be grown to weigh two and three-fourths pounds per bunch of twenty-six stalks from plants two years old from seed1 as exhibited at a recent ,american ,institute spring exhibition1 ,george ,m4 ,hay1 of ,connecticut1 writes in ,american ,gardening as follows3 ,select a piece of ground where the soil is light1 but of a good depth1 and plow thoroughly4 ,about the #ast of ,may mark off the rows three or four feet apart--for myself ,i prefer the latter distance as giving plenty of room for cultivation4 ,run a two-horse plow over the same furrow two or three times and you will have a depth of from fourteen to eighteen inches4 ,trenches having been all made1 we come to the most important part--namely1 manuring4 ,in order to give the young plants a good start after germination we have to use liberal quantities of well-rotted stable manure1 and in this the young plants make roots that in a short time are surprising4 ,i use a one-horse load of manure to every seventy-five feet of drill1 tramping it well down1 and with a rake draw from each side of the trench soil to cover the manure to a depth of from two to three inches4 ,the surface is raked level1 and with the end of a rake or hoe a furrow one inch deep is drawn4 ,we are now ready for the seed1 which should have been soaked in tepid water for at least twenty-four hours4 ,this will insure the immediate starting of the seed when the soil is moist and has not had a chance to dry out4 ,if unsoaked seed is used and we have a dry spell for two or three weeks1 the seed will be almost useless by the time it receives moisture enough to start4 ,when the asparagus is two or three inches high thin out to one foot apart1 being very careful not to disturb the plants left4 ,a piece of a stick cut to the shape of a table-knife is an ideal tool for thinning out the young plants4 ,it will be necessary to weed the rows by hand1 while the plants are very small1 for a distance of six inches on each side1 as the cultivator1 if run too close1 will cover up the young plants4 ,keep the horse cultivator at work as often as possible to maintain moisture for the young roots4 ,by fall you will be surprised to learn how far the young roots have traveled and the crowns prepared for next year's crop4 ,cover the rows with stable manure for the winter1 and in spring give a dressing of one pound of nitrate of soda to one hundred feet of drill1 and you will be well repaid for the extra labor and outlay by being able to cut asparagus of extra size in two years from the time of sowing the seed1 doing away with the transplanting of two-year-old roots1 and then waiting two more years before the first crop can be cut4 ,the principal objection which has been made against this system of not transplanting is that it does not admit of a careful choice of plants1 as the plants must be kept in the places where sown1 while in the transplanting method we need use only the choicest plants2 then1 if two or three seeds come up close together1 it is very difficult to thin them out1 and if left they will produce an inferior growth4 ,,pot-,,grown ,,asparagus ,,plants ,in the tests made at the ,missouri ,experiment ,station1 ,prof4 ,j4 ,c4 ,whitten found that it is much better to plant the seeds in six inches of rich1 sandy soil in the greenhouse or hotbed1 in ,february or early ,march1 than to wait two or three months for outdoor planting4 ,professor ,whitten advises to sow liberally1 for seven-eighths of the seedlings should be discarded4 ,when the seedlings are three inches high1 select those which have the thickest1 fleshiest1 and most numerous stems1 and pot them4 ,they vary more than almost any other vegetable4 ,many that appear large and vigorous will have broad1 flat1 twisted1 or corrugated stems4 ,discard them4 ,beware1 also1 of those that put out leaves close to the soil4 ,these will all make tough1 stringy1 undesirable plants4 ,the best plants are those which are cylindrical1 smooth1 and free from ridges4 ,they shoot up rapidly1 and attain a hight of two inches before leaves are put out4 ,they look much like smooth needles4 ,this matter of selecting the best plants for potting1 and subsequent planting out1 is of the greatest importance in asparagus culture4 ,these young plants should first be put in small pots and moved into larger ones as soon as they are well rooted4 ,they may need to be shifted twice before they are planted out-of-doors1 which should be done when danger of frost is over4 ,started in this way they continue to grow from the time they are planted out and reach very large size the first season4 ,in the case of nursery-grown plants1 where seeds are sown directly out-of-doors1 the young seedlings start very slowly1 are very tender during their early growth1 and if the weather is unfavorable they hardly become well established before autumn4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ac--,,one-,,year-,,old ,,pot-,,grown ,,asparagus ,,plant ,fig4 #ac shows a one-year-old plant started in ,february in the greenhouse and transplanted to the field the first of ,may4 ,plants grown in this way reach as good size in one year as the nursery-grown plants usually do in three years4 ,,vi ,,selection ,,of ,,plants ,that strong1 healthy1 one-year-old plants are in every way to be preferred to two or three year old ones has been demonstrated by many carefully conducted experiments1 and is now universally recognized by intelligent and observant asparagus growers4 ,the most noteworthy and accurate experiments in this line were made by the famous ,french asparagus specialist ,m4 ,godefroy-,leboeuf1 who planted twelve stools of one1 two1 and three years old respectively in the same soil under the same conditions and at the same time4 ,calling those plantings ,nos4 #a1 #b1 and #c1 the following are the results obtained3 ,first ,year4--,no4 #a4--;,all the stools came up before ,may #dth1 and were well grown4 ,no4 #b4--,ten stools showed above ground before ,may #dth1 one on the #ajth1 and one appeared to be dead4 ,the asparagus heads were very fine--finer1 indeed1 than those of ,no4 #a4 ,no4 #c4--;,eight stools showed above ground before ,may #dth1 one on the #abth1 and three gave no signs of life4 ,the heads were very fine at first1 but they became bent toward the end of the year 7,september #aeth71 and were much weaker than those of ,no4 #b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,second ,year4--,no4 #a4--,well-grown1 regular1 and strong heads1 which measured on ,september #aeth one inch in circumference4 ,no4 #b4--,well-grown but irregular heads1 somewhat weaker than those of ,no4 #a4 ,no4 #c4--,only pretty well-grown heads1 very irregular1 some of the stools having as many as eight or ten1 but all very weak4 ,one stool died after growing two heads4 99 99 99 99 99 ,third ,year4--,no4 #a4--,magnificent growths1 the heads measuring on ,april #ajth from two inches to three and one-quarter inches in circumference4 ,no4 #b4--;,growth passable only1 but very irregular4 ,some of the stools were very small4 ,the finest of them produced heads which from ,april #hth to #ajth only measured two and one-half inches in circumference4 ,no4 #c4--;,growth very poor and very irregular4 ,some of the stools continued to produce small heads not much thicker than a quill pen1 the largest being from one and one-half inch to two inches in circumference4 99 99 99 99 99 ,fourth ,year4--,no4 #a4--;,growth very remarkable4 ,the heads began to show on ,april #c;d1 #dth1 #eth1 #gth1 and #ajth4 ,some were from three and one-quarter inches to four inches in circumference1 and measured four and three-quarter inches4 ,fifty of the heads formed a bundle which weighed seven pounds4 ,no4 #b4--;,growth passable1 but later than ,no4 #a4 ,the heads made their first appearance on ,april #fth1 #ajth1 and #aath4 ,many of them were very small2 fifty of them barely made half a bundle1 and only weighed three and three-quarter pounds4 ,no4 #c4--;,growth but poor1 and somewhat late4 ,the heads made their appearance on ,april #dth1 #fth1 #ith1 and #aath2 one did not show till the #bb;d4 ,fifty heads barely formed half a bundle and only weighed two and one-half pounds4 ,to sum up1 it is clear that the plants of a year old in their fourth season--that is to say1 after having been planted out for three years--gave a bundle weighing seven pounds1 while those of two years old only gave three and three-quarter pounds1 and those of three years old only two and one-half pounds2 in other words1 taking round numbers1 the plantation made with the one-year-old plants produced double the crop of the two-year-old plants and treble that of the three-year-old plants4 ,the reader may easily draw his conclusions from the preceding facts4 ,equally important is a careful selection of the individual plants to be set out4 ,a crown with four or five strong1 well-developed buds is far better than one with a dozen or more of weak and sickly ones1 as the latter will always produce thin and poor spears of poor quality4 ,it is therefore highly to be recommended to select only plants with not over six buds and discard all others4 ,the roots should be strong and of uniform thickness1 succulent and not too fibrous4 ,dry or withered roots have to be cut off1 and plants with many bruised or otherwise damaged roots should be rejected entirely4 ,the best roots are the cheapest4 ,,male ,,and ,,female ,,plants ,it has long been observed that all of the asparagus plants in a bed do not produce seeds1 owing to the fact that the male and female flowers in asparagus are nearly always borne on separate plants4 ,seed bearing is an exhaustive process1 and1 as might be supposed1 those plants that have produced seed have less vigor than those that have not4 ,in order to determine the difference in vigor between the seed bearing and non-seed bearing plants1 ,prof4 ,william ,j4 ,green1 horticulturist of the ,ohio ,experiment ,station1 staked off fifty of each in a plantation of half an acre4 ,when the cuttings were made the shoots taken from male and female plants were kept separate1 and the weight of each recorded in ,bulletin ,no4 #i1 ,volume ,,iii41 of the ,ohio ,station1 as follows3 ,the cuttings were made at regular intervals and in the ordinary manner1 as for market purposes4 ,the weight of shoots taken at each cutting is not given in the table1 since the facts are quite as well shown by stating the aggregate weight for periods of ten days each4 ,the division into periods is made for the purpose of showing comparative earliness4 ,this could be shown in a more marked degree by taking the first and second cuttings alone1 but they were too limited in quantity to admit of conclusions being drawn from them2 hence they are included with the other cuttings in the same period4 ,,product ,,from ,,fifty ,,plants ,,each1 ,,male ,,and ,,female ,product from,product from fifty male fifty female plants plants ---------------------------------------- --------- ,ounces ,ounces ,first period1 #aj days #cg #ba ,second period1 #aj days #ajd #fh ,third period1 #aj days #bff #afd ,fourth period1 #aj days #bjc #aed ------------------------- ,total for the season #faj #djg ,this shows a gain of the male over the female plants of seventy-six per cent4 for the first period1 and a fraction less than fifty per cent4 for the whole season4 ,reversing the standard of comparison1 it will be seen that the female plants fall below the male forty-three per cent4 for the first period1 and a little more than thirty-three per cent4 in the total4 ,in no case did the female plants produce equally with the male4 ,if comparative earliness is determined by the date of first cutting alone1 there is no difference between the male and female plants1 since the first cutting was made on both at the same date2 but taking quantity of product into consideration1 which is the proper method1 there is a decided difference1 the gain of the male over the female plants being seventy-six1 fifty-two1 sixty-three1 and thirty-one per cent4 for the four periods respectively4 ,the difference in yield between the two was greatest at first1 and diminished toward the last1 which practically amounts to the same thing as the male being earlier than the female4 ,there is a still further difference between the two in quality of product1 the shoots of the female plant being smaller and inferior to those of the male4 ,it is not safe to draw conclusions from such limited observations as these1 further1 at least1 than to accept them as representing the truth approximately4 ,allowing a wide margin for possible error1 there would still seem to be sufficient difference in productive capacity between the male and female plants to justify the selection of the former and rejection of the latter when a new plantation is to be started4 ,if the figures given in the table are taken as a basis1 the gain in the crop1 if the male plants alone were used1 would each season pay for all the plants rejected1 and leave a handsome margin at the end of the term of years when an asparagus bed has served its period of usefulness4 ,male plants can be secured by division of old plants1 or by selecting those that bear no seed1 after they have attained the age of two years4 ,in summing up the results of this experiment1 ,professor ,green states that male asparagus plants are about fifty per cent4 more productive than female plants1 and the shoots being larger have a greater market value4 ,,vii ,,the ,,soil ,,and ,,its ,,preparation ,as asparagus in its wild state is usually found growing in light and sandy soils along or near the seashore1 it has long been supposed that it could not be cultivated in other localities and soils4 ,while it is true that asparagus succeeds best in a sandy1 rich1 and friable loam1 naturally underdrained and yet not too dry1 there is not another vegetable which accommodates itself more readily to as varying soils and conditions4 ,there is hardly a ,state in the ,united ,states in which at present asparagus is not grown more or less extensively and profitably1 and the most famous asparagus districts of ,france and ,germany are situated at great distances from the seashore4 ,the question of what soil to use is1 as a rule1 already settled2 we have to use the soil we have4 ,any good garden soil is suitable for asparagus1 and if it is not in the most favorable condition1 under existing circumstances1 it can easily be made so4 ,the soil should be free from roots1 stones1 or any material that will not readily disintegrate1 or that will interfere with the growth of the spears1 and with the knife in cutting4 ,fruit or other trees1 or high shrubs1 must not be allowed in the asparagus bed1 because of the shade they throw over the beds1 and because their roots make heavy drafts upon the soil4 ,nor should high trees1 hedges1 hills1 or buildings be so near as to shade the beds1 because all the sunshine obtainable is needed to bring the spears quickly to the surface4 ,whenever practicable the asparagus bed should be protected from cold winds1 and so slope that the full benefit of the sunshine will be obtained during the whole day4 ,brinckmeier1 in his ,braunschweiger ,spargelbuch1 gives the following three rules for guidance in selecting a location for asparagus beds3 #a4 ,one should choose1 in reference to ground characteristics1 open1 free-lying land1 protected to the north and east which1 for ,american conditions1 should be north and west1 of gradual slope1 free from trees or shrubbery4 #b4 ,the field should be exposed to the rays of the sun all day long2 therefore1 a southern exposure is desirable1 or1 if that is not obtainable1 a southwesterly or southeasterly slope1 because either east1 west1 or north exposure will cause shade during a greater or less portion of the day4 #c4 ,standing1 stagnant ground water1 which cannot be drawn off by drainage1 is to be avoided1 the requirements of the plants indicating a somewhat damp subsoil1 but not too high ground water4 ,for commercial purposes on a large scale1 and when the trucker has the choice of location1 a well-drained1 light1 deep1 sandy loam1 with a light clay subsoil1 is to be preferred to any other4 ,heavy clay soil1 or land with a hard-pan subsoil1 or1 in fact1 any soil that is cold and wet1 is totally unfit for profitable asparagus growing1 unless it is thoroughly underdrained and made lighter by a plentiful addition of sand and muck4 ,freedom from weeds is very desirable1 even more so than great fertility1 for the latter can be produced by heavy manuring1 which the future cultivation will require2 and to the end that weeds may be few1 it is well that for a year or two previous to planting the land should have been occupied by some hoed crop1 such as potatoes1 beets1 cabbage1 etc4 ,land on which corn has been growing for two or three years is in excellent condition for an asparagus field1 provided it has been heavily manured one year previous to the planting of the roots4 ,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,ground ,asparagus differs from most other vegetables in that it is a perennial1 and when once planted properly1 in suitable soil1 it will continue to produce an annual crop for a generation if not for an indefinite period1 while if the work is done carelessly and without consideration for the plant's requirements the plantation will never prove satisfactory and will run out entirely in the course of a few years4 ,the establishing of an asparagus bed is naturally more expensive than the planting and raising of annual vegetables4 ,in addition to this1 the plants have to be taken care of for three years before a crop can be harvested4 ,on the other hand1 an asparagus bed is an investment for a lifetime1 and the dividends derived from it increase in proportion to the care and thoroughness bestowed upon the preparation of the land4 ,it is at once apparent1 then1 that nothing should be neglected to bring the soil into the best possible condition before planting4 ,this truth was fully recognized by the gardeners of former years who practiced most extraordinary methods in order to bring the land into the most favorable condition for asparagus4 ,even now in some ,european countries1 where labor is cheap1 the entire ground is trenched to a depth of three or four feet1 turning in at the same time all the available manure1 seaweed1 and other fertilizing material4 ,a famous old-time asparagus bed in ,england was made in this manner3 ,the land was trenched three feet deep in trenches three feet wide and cast up into rough ridges1 after a crop of summer peas4 ,all decaying vegetation in the rubbish yards and corners was at the same time well sorted and turned up4 ,early in autumn also were added some old mushroom1 melon1 and cucumber bed material1 a lot of manure from piggeries1 cow houses1 and stables1 a quantity of road-grit and sand1 a quantity of ditch and drain parings1 turfy loam and sods1 quite three feet thick4 ,these were all turned over four times and well incorporated together1 between ,michaelmas and ,lady ,day1 as one would a dungheap1 the whole being left in large ridges exposed to the frost4 ,by ,april this compost was in a kindly state2 it was1 therefore1 laid down and planted with good1 clean one-year-old asparagus plants1 which certainly grew in a most extraordinary way4 ,another elaborate way of making an asparagus bed1 formerly practiced in ,france1 is described by ,dr4 ,maccullogh as follows3 ,a pit the size of the intended plantation is dug four feet in depth1 and the mold taken from it must be sifted1 taking care to reject all stones1 even as low in size as a filbert nut4 ,the best part of the mold must then be laid aside before making up the beds4 ,the materials of the bed are then to be laid in the following proportions and order3 ,six inches of common dunghill manure1 eight inches of turf1 six inches of dung as before1 six inches of sifted earth1 eight inches of turf1 six inches of very rotten dung1 eight inches of the best of earth4 ,the last layer of earth must then be well mixed with the last of dung4 ,the compartment must now be divided into beds five feet wide by paths constructed of turf two feet in breadth and one foot in thickness4 ,a bed prepared in this manner1 and planted and cultivated with as much painstaking care1 will no doubt produce asparagus of unsurpassed quality1 and may last forever4 ,yet the use of modern implements and a better knowledge of the nature and requirements of the plant have demonstrated that first-class asparagus can be produced with far less expense and labor4 ,while a deep and loose soil produces earlier and better crops than a heavy and shallow one1 indiscriminate deepening of the soil by trenching or other means is not always desirable1 even where the cost does not come into consideration4 ,when the subsoil is very light and poor and deficient in humus1 the placing of the better surface soil below and the infertile lower strata above1 trenching would be a positive detriment4 ,the same would be the case where the subsoil consists of heavy impervious clay4 ,in the fall preceding planting the land should be plowed deeply and left in the rough state during the winter4 ,subsoiling has often been recommended1 yet practical growers but rarely make use of the subsoil plow in the preparation of asparagus plantations1 although the value of subsoiling where the subsoil is heavy can not be doubted4 ,where stable or barnyard manure can be had cheaply1 and the soil is heavy1 a liberal coat spread broadcast over the surface and left to the action of the weather during winter will ameliorate the ground considerably4 ,in most cases1 however1 the same object may be obtained by applying the manure in spring4 ,joseph ,harris mentions a case in which a bed was plowed and subsoiled in the fall and the soil filled with manure1 while another bed near by was planted without manure1 or extra preparation of any kind1 relying entirely on artificial fertilizers after planting1 and the latter was by far the better bed4 ,as early in spring as the ground is in suitable condition to be worked it has to be plowed and harrowed and brought into as perfect condition as possible4 ,,viii ,,planting ,throughout the ,middle and ,northern ,states1 spring1 as soon as the soil can be worked to good advantage1 is decidedly the most favorable time for planting asparagus4 ,if it is not practicable to plant thus early1 the work may sometimes be delayed up to the middle of ,june4 ,in planting thus late1 however1 preparation has to be made for watering the plants in case of drouth1 else failure be inevitable4 ,it is also necessary to do the work as expeditiously as possible1 so as not to expose the roots to the drying influences of the sun and wind4 ,fall planting is advisable only in climates where there is no danger of winter-killing of the roots4 ,after the ground has been plowed and harrowed1 or spaded and raked over1 and brought into as mellow a condition as possible1 the rows for planting are to be laid out4 ,it is usually recommended to have the rows run north and south1 so as to readily admit the sunlight4 ,when this is not practicable1 however1 it need not deter any one from making an asparagus bed1 as it is more important to have the rows run with the slope of the land than in any particular direction of the compass1 in order to provide ready surface drainage4 ,,distance ,,to ,,plant ,as to the best distance between the rows and the plants in the rows there is a wide difference of opinion1 more so than with almost any other cultivated plant4 ,no unvarying rule can be laid down on this point1 as it depends largely upon the mechanical condition1 depth1 and fertility of the soil4 ,in a rich1 moderately heavy soil1 the roots may be planted closer than in a poor1 light soil4 ,the tendency of the present day is for giving the plants considerably more room than what formerly was thought to be ample4 ,intelligent observers could not fail to notice that crowded asparagus beds produce later and smaller crops1 and of inferior size and quality2 that they do not last as long2 and that they are more liable to attacks from insects and fungi than when more room is given to the plants4 ,gardeners of but a few decades ago had no idea of the possibility of raising a profitable crop of asparagus planted four or five feet apart1 and would have looked with derision upon any one advocating so wild a scheme4 ,the remains of run out1 old-time asparagus beds are still in evidence in many old farm gardens4 ,the rows in these were originally one foot apart and the plants in the rows even closer than this1 and perhaps after every third or fourth row there was a path two feet wide4 ,of course1 in such a bed1 after a few years1 the entire ground became a solid mass of roots1 and the stalks became smaller and tougher from year to year4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ad--;,,horizontal ,,development ,,of ,a ,,four-,,year-,,old ,,asparagus ,,root ,in most asparagus sections special customs prevail1 and even in these different growers have their individual preferences2 but all agree that asparagus should never be planted closer than two feet in rows three feet apart4 ,for the home garden there is no better plan than to plant but a single row1 with the plants two or three feet apart1 along the edge or border of the ground1 but not nearer than four or five feet to other plants1 and in case of grape-vines even more room should be given4 ,here they require but little care1 and the plants have an unlimited space for the extension of their roots in search of moisture and food4 ,asparagus needs considerable water1 and an acre of land will hold so much water and no more4 ,the more plants there are on an acre the less water there will be for each plant1 and what is true of water is also true of plant food4 ,in field culture the distance adopted by asparagus growers varies from #c x #c feet 7#d1hdj plants per acre72 #c x #d feet 7#c1fdj plants per acre72 #d x #d feet 7#b1gbb plants per acre72 #d x #e feet 7#b1agh plants per acre72 #e x #f feet 7#a1deb plants per acre72 #f x #f feet 7#a1baj plants per acre71 and even more4 ,if the idea is to have the plants so far apart that their roots can not interlace1 twenty feet each way would not be too extravagant a distance1 under favorable conditions1 as will readily become apparent by a glance at ,fig4 #ad4 ,this illustration is an exact reproduction of the root system of an asparagus plant four years from the seed4 ,the roots spread out upon a level floor measured thirteen feet from tip to tip1 the single roots averaging the thickness of a lead pencil4 ,this root grew in ,madison ,county1 ,ill41 and was washed out of the ground--without having any of its roots torn--by the unusually heavy spring rains which caused the ,piasa ,river to overflow its banks and sent a current rushing through the asparagus field in which it grew4 ,if the plant had remained in its position a few years longer its roots would probably have extended ten feet in each direction4 ,from this it does not follow1 however1 that asparagus should be planted twenty or even ten feet apart to produce the largest returns1 but it plainly shows why the roots should not be planted as closely together as was customary in former years2 and it obviously demonstrates that when land is cheap and manure and labor high1 asparagus can not be hurt by giving it plenty of room4 ,it should also be considered that earliness1 size1 and quality make a great difference with the price and profits when early and large shoots are in demand4 ,it might be possible to get double the number of shoots per acre from thick than from thin planting1 but they might be so small and spindling as not to be worth the labor and expense of cutting and marketing4 ,,depth ,,of ,,planting ,contrary to the all but universal belief1 asparagus is not a deep-rooted plant4 ,in the wild state its most frequent habitat is on the fertile marshes of the shoreline in ,europe1 on ground but a few inches above the tidewater which permeates the sandy subsoil4 ,as the roots can not live in water1 they naturally grow to long distances parallel with the surface and retain this habit under cultivation4 ,the tendency of growth in the asparagus roots in this direction is obviously demonstrated in ,fig4 #ad4 ,the proper depth of planting asparagus roots varies somewhat1 according to the character of the soil1 the method of cultivation1 and the kind of spears desired1 whether white or green4 ,as the new crowns rise somewhat above the old ones annually1 it seems but rational that the plants should have sufficient room for the new growths before their crowns become even with the surface of the land4 ,when the crown once comes near the level of the soil it is impossible to give proper cultivation1 unless the entire bed be raised by adding soil to the whole surface4 ,while it is true that the deeper the crowns are planted the later they will start in the spring1 this is of account only during the first few years4 ,besides1 the factor of earliness is not of nearly as much importance now as it was before northern markets were so bountifully supplied with the southern grown crops several months before the opening of the northern season4 ,shallow-planted asparagus sprouts earlier1 but soon exhausts itself1 sending up spindling1 tough shoots1 while the deeper-planted crowns produce large and succulent sprouts throughout the season4 ,when green asparagus is desired1 and there is no danger of the beetles eating the sprouts before they are fit for use1 a depth of two or three inches is sufficient1 but for white or blanched asparagus a depth of from eight to ten inches is necessary4 ,,manner ,,of ,,planting ,as in other details of asparagus culture1 the methods of planting have undergone very material changes4 ,the formerly usual practice of digging deep trenches was not well founded--in the light of our present experience and knowledge--and could be useful only for drainage4 ,how little regard was paid to the nature and requirements of the plant may readily be perceived by reading the following directions for making an asparagus bed1 but little over half a century ago1 in ,bridgeman's ,young ,gardeners' ,assistant3 ,the ground for the asparagus bed should have a large supply of well-rotted dung1 three or four inches thick1 and then be regularly trenched two spades deep1 and the dung buried equally in each trench twelve or fifteen inches below the surface4 ,when this trenching is done1 lay two or three inches of thoroughly rotted manure over the whole surface1 and dig the ground over again eight or ten inches deep1 mixing this top-dressing1 and incorporating it well with the earth4 ,in family gardens it is customary to divide the ground thus prepared into beds1 allowing four feet for every four rows of plants1 with alleys two feet and a half wide between each bed4 ,strain your line along the bed six inches from the edge2 then with a spade cut out a small trench or drill close to the line1 about six inches deep1 making that side next to the line nearly upright2 when one trench is opened1 plant that before you open another1 placing the plants upright ten or twelve inches distance in the row1 and let every row be twelve inches apart4 ,the plants must not be placed flat in the bottom of the trench1 but nearly upright against the back of it1 and so that the crown of the plants must also stand upright1 and two or three inches below the surface of the ground1 spreading their roots somewhat regularly against the back of the trench1 and at the same time drawing a little earth up against them with the hand as you place them1 just to fix the plants in their due position until the row is planted2 when one row is thus placed1 with a rake or hoe draw the earth into the trench over the plants1 and then proceed to open another drill or trench1 as before directed1 and fill and cover it in the same manner1 and so on until the whole is planted2 then let the surface of the beds be raked smooth and clear from stones1 etc4 ,some gardeners1 with a view to having extra large heads1 place their plants sixteen inches apart in the rows instead of twelve1 and by planting them in the quincunx manner--that is1 by commencing the second row eight inches from the end of the first and the fourth even with the second--the plants will form rhomboidal squares instead of rectangular ones1 and every plant will thus have room to expand its roots and leaves luxuriantly4 ,in diametrical contradistinction1 and as an example of the very plainest and simplest of modern methods1 ,joseph ,harris wrote3 ,if you are going to plant a small bed in the garden1 stretch a line not less than four feet from any other plant1 and with a hoe make holes along the line1 eighteen inches or three feet apart1 four inches deep1 and large enough to hold the plants when the roots are spread out horizontally4 ,do not make deep holes straight down in the ground and stick the roots in as you would a cabbage1 but spread out the roots4 ,after the roots are set out cover them with fine soil1 and that is all there is to it4 ,then move the line three feet from the first row and repeat the planting until the bed is finished4 ,in the field make the rows with a common corn-marker1 three feet apart each way1 and set out a plant where the rows cross4 ,it is but little more work to plant an acre of asparagus than an acre of potatoes4 ,between these extreme methods many different directions for planting asparagus have been given and practiced4 ,modern methods have not only greatly simplified the planting1 but have also materially reduced the expense1 increased the crop1 and improved the quality of the product4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ae--,,trenches ,,ready ,,for ,,planting ,after the ground has been properly prepared1 it is marked off in parallel rows from three to five or more feet apart1 according to the preferences of the grower4 ,the easiest way to open these trenches is by plowing a furrow each way1 and1 if necessary1 going over the ground a sufficient number of times to make the furrows from eight to ten inches deep4 ,after this the loose soil is thrown out with a shovel or a wide hoe1 so as to leave the trenches at a uniform depth of ten to twelve inches and of the same width at the bottom1 as seen in ,fig4 #ae4 ,by rigging a piece of board on the mold-board of the plow more soil is thrown out1 so that usually it will not be necessary to go over the ground oftener than twice4 ,the ,messrs4 ,hudson ,son1 of ,long ,island1 have devised for their own use a trencher 7,fig4 #af71 which with a good team opens the trench to the desired depth in one operation and at a great saving of labor4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #af--;,,hudson',s ,,trencher ,if the entire ground has been heavily fertilized1 plowing manure in the trenches will not be necessary1 yet many experienced asparagus growers think that it pays to scatter some fertilizing material into the trenches before planting4 ,a favorite plan with ,long ,island growers is to mix half a ton of ground bone1 or fish scrap1 with one hundred pounds of nitrate of soda per acre1 and thoroughly incorporate this mixture with the soil to a depth of three inches before setting the plants4 ,others prefer thoroughly decomposed manure spread over the bottom of the furrow1 to a depth of about three inches1 before setting the plants4 ,others prefer thoroughly decomposed manure spread over the bottom of the furrow1 to a depth of about three inches1 and covering it with two inches of fine soil4 ,if the roots are to be planted four or more feet apart it will be sufficient to throw a shovelful of manure where the roots are to be placed4 ,this is then spread out so as to make a layer of about three inches1 which is then covered with soil4 ,,placing ,,the ,,roots ,the proper planting of the roots is the most critical point in asparagus culture1 as upon the manner in which this is performed--more than upon other detail--depends the success1 yield1 duration1 and profit of the plantation4 ,almost any other neglect can be remedied by after-treatment1 but careless and faulty planting1 never4 ,whatever care and personal attention the grower may give to this work will be repaid manyfold in future returns4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ag--;,,asparagus ,,root ,,in ,,proper ,,position ,,for ,,covering ,as stated before1 only strong1 healthy one-year-old plants with three or four strong buds should be used1 so as to insure an even growth over the entire field1 and at every stage of the work great care must be taken not to expose the roots to the drying influences of sun and winds4 ,when everything is in readiness for planting1 the roots are placed in the trench1 the crown in the center and the rootlets spread out evenly and horizontally1 like the spokes of a wheel1 and at once covered with three inches of fine1 mellow soil1 which is pressed around them4 ,if the ground is dry at planting-time it should be pressed down quite firmly about the roots1 so as to prevent their drying out1 and to hasten their growth4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ah--;,,cross-,,section ,,of ,,asparagus ,,bed ,,after ,,planting ,to still more insure success it is an excellent plan to draw up little hills of soil in the bottom of the trench over which to place the roots with the crowns resting on the top1 thus raising the crowns a few inches above the extremities of the roots and providing for them a position similar to what they stood in before transplanting1 as seen in ,fig4 #ag4 ,the subsequent covering of the roots can usually be done with a one-horse plow1 from which the mold-board has been removed1 passing down the sides of the row4 ,this leaves the plants in a depression1 the soil thrown out in opening the rows forming a ridge on each side1 as shown in ,fig4 #ah4 ,this depression will gradually become filled during the process of cultivation the succeeding summer4 ,,ix ,,cultivation ,as generally understood1 the chief object of cultivation is to kill weeds4 ,this is an erroneous idea1 however1 as the appearance of weeds serves simply as ,nature's reminder of the necessity of immediate cultivation4 ,on ground cultivated as thoroughly as it should be for the best development of the crop there will rarely be any weeds to kill1 as their germs have been destroyed by the process of cultivation before they could make their appearance above the ground4 ,,care ,,during ,,the ,,first ,,year ,the cultural work in the asparagus bed during the first year consists in loosening the soil at frequent intervals1 and especially as soon after rain as the ground becomes dry enough for cultivation4 ,frequent and thorough cultivation is necessary not only to keep down the weeds1 but also to prevent the formation of a crust on the soil after rain1 and to provide a mulch of loose earth for the retention of moisture4 ,in field culture the work is best done with a one-horse cultivator or a wheel-hoe1 and on a small scale with a scuffle-hoe and a rake4 ,as the sprouts grow up small quantities of fine soil should be drawn into the trenches from time to time1 but during the early part of the season great care must be exercised not to cover the crowns too deeply4 ,some growers advise to work the soil away instead of toward the plants1 considering the four inches of soil with which the roots are covered at planting sufficient for the first year4 ,while this may be true in a wet or moderately moist summer1 in a season of drouth the additional mulch of mellow soil can not but be beneficial to the young and tender plants4 ,especial care is required when working around the young sprouts1 so as not to cover1 break1 or in any way injure any of them4 ,in the garden bed it pays to stake the canes when they are but a foot high1 so as to prevent the wind from disturbing the stools in the soil by swaying the shoots backward and forward4 ,careful gardeners insert stakes for this purpose at the time of planting1 before the roots are covered with soil1 so as to guard against the danger of injuring any of them4 ,the best material for this tying is raffia1 or ,cuban bast4 ,in field culture staking is usually not practicable1 partly on account of the cost1 and also because where there are many plants growing close together they furnish some mutual protection to one another4 ,the same end may also be accomplished--partly1 at least--by throwing up a furrow on each side of the rows of plants4 ,precautions of this kind are important in localities exposed to high winds1 as their neglect may often cause greater loss than it would have cost to provide proper protection4 ,another important work in the asparagus bed during the first year is to keep close and constant watch over the asparagus beetle1 and at its first appearance to apply the remedies recommended in the chapter on injurious insects4 ,plants deprived of their foliage at this early stage of their life have but a poor chance to recover from the loss4 ,if it is found that some of the plants have not started by the middle of ,june1 it is best to replace them with growing plants of the same age1 which should have been kept in a reserve bed for this purpose4 ,if this replanting is done carefully1 so as not to mutilate any of the roots1 and on a cloudy day1 it is best not to cut back the tops very severely4 ,unless a copious rain sets in soon after planting1 the roots have to be heavily watered1 after which they will keep on growing at once without suffering any setback4 ,the formerly all but universal practice was to cover the roots with manure after the stalks had been removed in the fall for fear of frost injuring or killing the roots4 ,in sections where winters are very severe this may still be desirable1 as may be seen from the statement of so keen an observer as ,professor ,j4 ,c4 ,whitten1 of the ,missouri ,experiment ,station3 ,most writers advise applying dressing of old fine manure during the growing season when the plants can use it4 ,in our soil better results are obtained by applying it in winter4 ,it prevents the soil from running together and hardening1 and also prevents the sprouts from coming through1 as they otherwise often do1 too early in spring1 and becoming weakened by subsequent severe freezing4 ,as the reverse of this plan1 ,m4 ,godefroy-,leboeuf1 the famous ,french authority1 recommends to clear out of the trenches the soil which has fallen into them from the sides of the mounds1 and also remove from above the stools a portion of that with which they were covered at the time they were planted--say1 to a depth of one and one-half inches--so that the action of the frost may open the soil and that the rain may penetrate and improve it2 also that during the first fine days of spring the sun may warm the surface of the soil and penetrate as far as the stools4 ,there is no fear that the action of the frost should hurt the plants4 ,asparagus will never freeze as long as the stool is covered with a layer of soil one and one-half to one and three-fourth inches in depth4 ,if the rows are not less than four feet apart a crop of some other vegetables may be raised between them4 ,beans1 dwarf peas1 lettuce1 beets1 or any kinds which do not spread much1 are suitable for the purpose4 ,these by-products will help considerably toward paying the cost of cultivating the main crop1 besides having a tendency to keep the soil cool and moist1 a condition of no little importance to the asparagus4 ,,care ,,during ,,the ,,second ,,year ,the treatment of the asparagus plantation during the second year does not differ materially from that of the first season after planting4 ,the ground has to be stirred frequently and kept scrupulously clean1 and a sharp lookout must be kept for the advent of injurious insects4 ,as soon as berries appear on the tops they should be stripped off and destroyed1 as the ripening seed absorbs a large share of the nourishment which ought to go to the development and strengthening of the crowns which are to produce the following year's crop4 ,even with the best of care1 some plants will die out from time to time1 although the more thoroughly the ground has been prepared at the time of planting1 and the better the quality of the roots planted1 the fewer failures of this kind will occur4 ,these blank spaces are not only constant eyesores to the methodical gardener1 but in the course of several years the aggregate shortage of crops will be considerable1 while the amount of labor and fertilizer will be the same as in a fully stocked plantation4 ,therefore1 such vacancies should be filled in the spring1 not only of the second year1 but whenever they occur in future seasons4 ,the best way to replant these dead or dying roots is to go over the rows each fall1 before the ground freezes1 and drive a stake wherever there is a plant missing1 as in the spring1 before the plants have started1 it would be difficult1 if not impossible1 to indicate the blank spaces4 ,for replanting in the second year good strong two-year-old roots should be used4 ,for the third and future years it is best to raise and keep a supply of a sufficient number of reserve plants for this special purpose in a similar manner as is done for forcing4 ,as early in spring as the season permits these clumps should be carefully lifted and transferred to the permanent plantation4 ,for three-year and older beds good strong three-year-old roots should be used1 as younger ones would have but a poor chance between two older and well-established clumps4 ,,care ,,during ,,the ,,third ,,and ,,future ,,years ,the third year cutting may begin in a moderate way1 but too much should not be attempted4 ,if all the conditions of growth have been favorable half a crop may be cut without injuring the roots1 but under no circumstances should cutting in the third year be continued for more than three weeks4 ,the general care of the bed during the third year is similar to that of the second1 with the exception that the soil is worked more toward the rows1 ridging them slightly4 ,in the spring of the third and each succeeding year1 as soon as the ground can be worked it should be plowed between the rows1 turning the soil toward and over the crowns1 leaving a dead furrow between the rows1 as seen in ,fig4 #ai4 ,if bleached asparagus is desired1 these ridges over the rows should be twelve inches higher than the bottom of the dead furrows between the rows1 and when the soil is very light and sandy a hight of fifteen inches is preferable4 ,for green asparagus the ridges are left lower1 and the shoots are allowed to grow several inches above the ground before cutting1 provided the asparagus beetle does not appropriate them sooner4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ai--,,perspective ,,view ,,of ,,an ,,asparagus ,,field ,,properly ,,ridged ,,in ,,early ,,spring ,,missouri ,,agricultural ,,experiment ,,station ,after the furrows are plowed out between the rows a home-made ridger is used to smooth the ridges and complete the work4 ,this is formed of two heavy oak boards shod with tire iron1 sloping upward and backward1 attached to a pair of cultivator wheels4 ,this requires a good team1 one horse walking on either side of the row4 ,on the light soils of ,long ,island this implement works to perfection1 but on stiff lands a two-horse disk-wheel cultivator1 with two disks on each side1 going astride of each row and throwing up fresh soil upon the ridge1 proves more effective4 ,the same implements are used for renewing the ridges during the cutting season1 which will be required about once a week1 as the rains beat them down and the sun bakes a crust upon the top4 ,immediately after the cutting season is over the ridges are leveled1 by plowing a furrow from each side of the center 7,fig4 #bj71 after which the land is harrowed crosswise until the surface is level and smooth4 ,as long as practical1 surface cultivation should be given1 especially after rains1 but usually at this time the plants make such rapid and vigorous growth that there will be little time for the work4 ,their tops and branches soon fill the entire space and quickly shade the ground so densely as to keep down weed growth4 ,of course1 whatever tall weeds may spring up here and there have to be pulled out by hand4 ,,fall ,,treatment ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bj--,,leveling ,,the ,,ridges ,,after ,,the ,,cutting ,,season ,the fall clearing of the plantation is an important part of asparagus culture4 ,as soon as the berries are turning red--but not before--the stalks should be cut off even with the ground4 ,if left longer the berries will drop off1 their seeds will soon become embedded in the ground and fill the soil with seedling asparagus plants1 which are about the most obstinate weed in the asparagus bed4 ,if cut sooner they are not sufficiently matured1 and the roots are deprived of their nourishment4 ,all the brush should be removed at once to an open field and burned1 so as not to provide lodging-places for injurious insects and fungi4 ,some recommend leaving the seedless plants as a mulch during the winter1 but the possible benefit of this is so insignificant that it is not worth while to leave them for a second cleaning in spring1 when time is far more valuable4 ,,renovating ,,old ,,asparagus ,,beds ,the principal causes of asparagus beds running out are that in the first place ten plants are set out in a space where only one could thrive2 then that the ground is not rich enough and had no proper cultivation2 and last1 but not least1 that the cutting of the stalks has been carried to excess4 ,what to do with the old bed is sometimes a perplexing question1 especially when a place changes hands and the new proprietor has more progressive ideas than the former one had4 ,let the old bed stay1 and set out a new one according to rational methods4 ,some years ago the writer came into possession of an asparagus bed which was known to be forty years old1 and may have been much older4 ,it was a solid mass of roots without any distinguishable rows4 ,the spears produced were so small and tough that the first impulse was to dig up the roots4 ,but as this proved to be a more formidable task than was anticipated1 another plan was pursued4 ,in autumn the bed was thickly covered with fine yard manure4 ,the following spring the bed was marked out into strips of two feet in width4 ,when the sprouts appeared those in every alternate strip were cut clean off during the entire summer1 and the others allowed to grow4 ,in the autumn of the year another heavy application of manure was given to the entire bed4 ,the following year but few shoots appeared in the strips which had been cut all through the summer4 ,these were treated the same as before1 and in the third year not a sprout appeared in the alleys4 ,the stalks left for use improved greatly during the first year and the third year were of good serviceable size and quality1 so that even after the new bed1 which had been planted at the time this experiment was commenced1 came into bearing1 the old one was retained for several years longer4 ,probably if the vacant strips had been made three or four feet wide the result would have been still better4 ,this experience suggests the idea that the easiest and least expensive way of exterminating an old asparagus bed is to persistently mow down all the shoots for a season or two4 ,x ,,fertilizers ,,and ,,fertilizing ,asparagus is a gross feeder4 ,there is hardly another plant in cultivation upon the vitality of which so great a demand is made4 ,the cutting of all its sprouts1 or shoots1 as soon as they appear above the ground1 for several weeks1 is an abnormal and enormous tax upon the plant1 which is thus forced to extra exertion in order to reproduce itself and perpetuate its kind4 ,therefore1 it should have the most tender care1 and an abundance of nourishing and readily available food4 ,the earliness1 tenderness1 size1 and commercial value of the product depends principally on the rapidity of its growth1 and1 as this is materially promoted by the richness of the soil1 it is evident that the plants should receive all the food they can assimilate during the growing season4 ,there is a wide difference of opinion among growers as to which is the best kind of manure to use4 ,whatever the individual preferences may be1 there is this satisfaction to know that no kind of plant food can come amiss on the asparagus bed1 although the use of some kinds and combinations may be more economical than others4 ,formerly animal manures only were thought to be of any use for asparagus1 and there are still some growers who cling to this opinion4 ,in recent years1 however1 there has been a decided reaction in this regard in some of the principal asparagus sections4 ,the objections made against stable manure are that it is more expensive to handle1 that it is apt to get the land full of weeds1 and that it does not contain sufficient phosphoric acid and potash4 ,at present many growers use commercial fertilizers exclusively1 convinced that asparagus needs liberal feeding of potash and more nitrogen than is generally supposed to be required4 ,the composition of #a1jjj parts of fresh asparagus sprouts is1 according to ,wolff3 ,water #icc parts ,nitrogen #c4b ,ash #e4j ,potash #a4b ,soda #j4i ,lime #j4f ,magnesia #j4b ,phosphoric acid #j4i ,sulphuric acid #j4c ,silica #j4e ,chlorine #j4c ,this analysis shows very accurately what a given weight of asparagus abstracts from the soil1 but it does not1 and can not1 show or even indicate certain indispensable demands4 ,in this1 as in other cases1 the analysis of a crop is a very uncertain guide to its proper fertilization4 ,it should be clearly understood by every cultivator of the soil that no rigidly fixed formulas can be given for any one crop on all soils4 ,the question of quantity of application and of proportion must always1 in the very nature of the case1 remain more or less a matter of individual experiment4 ,the following formula1 given by ,prof4 ,p4 ,h4 ,rolfs1 makes a good asparagus fertilizer3 ,nitrogen #d per cent4 ,potash #e ,available phosphoric acid #g ,one thousand five hundred pounds of the above formula should be applied per acre4 ,when possible apply twenty to forty tons of vegetable material1 such as partially rotted rakings of barnyard manure4 ,where such vegetable matter is procurable1 the quantity of nitrogen may be decreased proportionately4 ,if manure is obtainable1 allowance should be made for the fertilizing elements contained therein4 ,an excellent formula for one ton of asparagus fertilizer1 given by ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,massey1 consists of3 #bjj lbs4 nitrate of soda #gjj cottonseed-meal #hjj acid phosphate 7#ac per cent47 #cjj muriate of potash ,this will yield #d4i per cent4 ammonia1 #f4a per cent4 available phosphoric acid1 #h4d per cent4 potash4 ,the effects of the application of a scientifically balanced fertilizer ration upon asparagus is clearly illustrated in ,fig4 #ba1 which presents a photographic reproduction of an experimental plat of the ,north ,carolina ,state ,horticultural ,society at ,southern ,pines1 ,n4 ,c41 fertilized with #bej lbs4 nitrate of soda #djj acid phosphate #afj muriate of potash per acre1 while ,fig4 #bb shows a plat of equal size which remained unfertilized4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ba--,,north ,,carolina',s ,,experiment ,,farm ,,asparagus ,,plot2 ,,fertilized ,the following table gives the amounts of different fertilizer materials necessary to give the desired quantity of each element3 ,element ,pounds of different materials for one acre #hjj to #a1jjj lbs4 cottonseed-meal2 or ,nitrogen #cej to #djj nitrate of soda2 or #bge to #cjj sulphate of ammonia2 or #djj to #fjj dried blood4 #cjj to #ejj lbs4 kainit2 or ,potash #aej lbs4 muriate of potash2 or #aej to #cjj lbs4 sulphate of potash ,phosphoric acid #gej to #a1jjj lbs4 acid phosphate2 or #fjj to #hjj dissolved bone4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bb--,,north ,,carolina ,,experiment ,,farm ,,asparagus ,,plot2 ,,unfertilized ,asparagus requires very heavy manuring1 and yet its composition would not indicate it1 writes ,mr4 ,charles ,v4 ,mapes4 ,the explanation is found in the fact that it must grow very rapidly1 otherwise it is tough1 stringy and flavorless1 the same as with radishes4 ,if it had a long season to grow in1 like timothy hay1 it might grow successfully in very poor soil4 ,a half ton of timothy hay contains about as much plant food1 and in similar proportions1 as two thousand bunches of asparagus1 or five thousand quarts of strawberries1 and yet while this quantity of hay will grow on an acre of almost any poor soil1 the strawberries or asparagus for a fair crop per acre require a rich garden soil4 ,if the hay were obliged to make as rapid growth as the asparagus1 then it also would require rich soil4 ,with the strawberry there is but the lapse of a few weeks from the time of blossoming to the full development of its fruit4 ,the plants need a superabundance of plant food within easy reach1 otherwise the fruit is small and inferior4 ,the plant can not bear profitable fruit and at the same time be compelled to struggle for existence4 ,the same is the case with asparagus4 ,neither of these crops can take up out of the soil all the fertilizer that needs to be applied for their successful growth1 and therefore there is necessarily a large quantity of plant food unused and left over in the soil4 ,for these reasons1 asparagus1 while not necessarily an exhaustive crop1 requires heavy manuring4 ,one ton of high grade vegetable manure is none too much per acre1 and is small1 particularly in the expense1 as compared with the larger quantities of stable manure per acre1 as recommended by some successful growers4 ,as already stated1 formerly it was thought necessary to place large quantities of manure in the bottom of the deep trenches in which the young plants were set out1 in order that sufficient fertility might be present for several years for the roots1 as after the plants were once planted there would be no further opportunity to apply the manure in such an advantageous place4 ,this theory has been found erroneous and the practice has been demonstrated to be rather a waste than otherwise1 and besides the roots of asparagus thrive better when resting upon a more compact soil2 nor is it necessary that the soil should contain great amounts of humus1 or be in an extremely fertile condition when the plants are first put out1 since by the system of top-dressing a moderately fertile soil soon becomes exceedingly rich and equal to the demands which the plants make upon it4 ,the plan of top-dressing beds during the fall or early winter is gradually giving way to the more rational mode of top-dressing in the spring or summer4 ,it was believed that autumn dressing strengthened the roots and enabled them to throw up stronger shoots during the following spring4 ,this is a mistake1 however4 ,in the ,oyster ,bay region formerly all manuring was done in the spring1 but the practice of applying all fertilizers immediately after the cutting is finished is rapidly increasing4 ,the reason for this is found in the fact that1 during the growth of the stalks1 after the cutting season is over1 the crowns form the buds from which the spears of next season spring1 and it is probable that it is principally during this period that the roots assimilate and store up the materials which produce these spears4 ,this being true1 the plant food added to the soil and becoming available after the cessation of vegetation in the autumn can have little1 if any1 effect upon the spears which are cut for market the following spring2 it first becomes of use to the plant after the crop has been cut and the stalks allowed to grow4 ,thus the manuring of the autumn of #aija will not benefit the grower materially until the spring of #aijc4 ,nevertheless1 some highly successful asparagus raisers continue to apply fertilizers in the spring1 as evidenced by the following directions given by one of the most prominent growers in the ,oyster ,bay district4 ,after the roots have been set in the drill1 put enough soil on them to cover about two inches4 ,then sow about #ejj pounds of high grade potato fertilizer per acre in the drill4 ,as the weeds commence to grow1 cultivate and hoe1 letting the soil cave down in the drill4 ,about the middle of the season sow about #ejj pounds more of fertilizer in the drill4 ,continue to cultivate and hoe the remainder of the season4 ,at the end of the season the drill should be entirely filled up4 ,the second year sow about #b1jjj pounds of fertilizer per acre broadcast1 plow the ground and harrow it down level1 and keep the ground clean4 ,the third year open the drill over the asparagus with a one-horse plow1 broadcast #b1jjj pounds of fertilizer per acre about the time the shoots begin to show1 and back-furrow it up with a plow over the drill to form a ridge4 ,then smooth the ridge down with a home-made implement resembling a snow-plow reversed4 ,cut every morning all the shoots that show through the ground4 ,do not cut more than four weeks in the first cutting season4 ,continue to broadcast #b1jjj pounds of fertilizer per acre every year4 ,from what has been said in regard to the various methods of applying fertilizers to asparagus1 it will be readily understood that it can make but little difference how it is distributed1 whether on the rows1 between the rows1 or broadcast1 so long as enough of it is put on the land4 ,in an established asparagus bed the entire ground is a dense network of roots1 and wherever the fertilizer is put some of the roots will find it1 but not those of the plants over the crowns of which it has been planted2 not more so than the feeding roots of an apple tree can reach a heap of manure piled around its trunk4 ,,salt ,,as ,a ,,fertilizer ,salt is but little used now by commercial asparagus growers1 though it has been recommended for this crop from time immemorial4 ,about the principal advantage to be derived from its use is that of killing weeds without injuring asparagus1 although it may be applied in sufficient quantities to injure the asparagus4 ,the indirect fertilizing value of salt is mainly due to the fact that it has the power of changing unavailable forms of plant food into available forms2 but this object may be secured cheaper and better by the use of kainit4 ,in sandy soils it may encourage the supply of moisture1 but on naturally moist and retentive soils heavy dressings of salt may do more harm than good4 ,much of the benefits to asparagus for which salt gets credit is its use in a small way in the home garden1 due to the fact that not dry salt1 but the brine and residue of the pork and corned beef barrels is applied to the asparagus beds4 ,this brine is rich in animal matter extracted from the meat1 and usually also in saltpeter1 which has been used in pickling4 ,the latter substance alone1 without the addition of salt1 exerts a strong fertilizing effect upon the plants4 ,after a series of carefully conducted experiments by ,mr4 ,charles ,v4 ,mapes1 he writes3 ,salt was only effectual as a fertilizer in proportion as the soil contained accumulated supplies of plant food1 either from previous manurings or from natural strength4 ,asparagus1 unlike nearly all other crops1 will stand almost unlimited quantities of salt without injury4 ,it also thrives near the seashore1 and it was therefore generally believed that liberal quantities of salt were a necessity to its successful growth4 ,experience has shown1 however1 that its presence is not at all necessary for its growth1 and that the reason that a bed to which salt has been applied shows quickened and improved growth is that the salt dissolves out of the soil plant food which1 without the presence of the salt1 would have become too slowly reduced to available condition for producing good crops4 ,the salt acted practically as a stimulant and added nothing except chlorine and soda1 neither of which in any considerable quantity is essential for growing this crop4 ,it is this dissolving action that takes place in the soil whenever any soluble salt or fertilizer1 like kainit1 potash salts1 acid phosphates1 etc41 be applied to the soil1 that is often mistaken for a manuring one4 ,the result is an exhaustion1 not a strengthening1 of the soil4 ,the crop is grown at the expense of the limited supply of food that the soluble salt can act upon4 ,the fertilizer has acted practically as a stimulant4 ,,xi ,,harvesting ,,and ,,marketing ,the chief labor in asparagus culture is the cutting and bunching4 ,as it is of the greatest importance that the work be done promptly and expeditiously1 it is desirable to have more help than is wanted merely for the asparagus1 and then1 when the asparagus is ready for market1 they can go to hoeing and tilling other crops4 ,five acres in full bearing will require from six to eight men from four to six hours per day to do the cutting and three or four to do the bunching4 ,a successful farmer in western ,new ,york1 who has four acres of asparagus1 employs eight or ten boys and girls1 for from three to six hours per day1 to do the cutting and three women to bunch it4 ,the women are paid by the bunch1 and work five to ten hours per day4 ,piecework1 if properly done1 is nearly always cheaper than day work1 and is better for the employs and the employer4 ,,cutting ,as has been stated in a previous chapter1 cutting should not begin until the plants have become strong and vigorous1 which requires two or three years from the planting4 ,in the latitude of ,new ,york ,city the cutting season commences usually the last week in ,april and closes ,july #ajth1 although but few growers cut after the #ast1 particularly if the season has been a favorable one4 ,except on old and well-established plantings1 cutting should not extend for more than six or seven weeks4 ,some growers cut asparagus as long as it pays to ship1 regardless of the damage done to the plants4 ,the old rule to discontinue cutting asparagus when green peas are abundant is a safe one to follow1 especially in the home garden4 ,unlike other crops1 about as much can be cut each day1 or at each cutting1 as the day before1 during the season1 varying only according to the weather4 ,manner of cutting4--,the mode of cutting asparagus varies according to the requirements of the markets1 whether green or white stalks are desired4 ,whatever individual preferences may be1 the fact is that in ,new ,york ,city1 and some other large market centers1 #ge per cent4 of the asparagus sold is white or blanched1 and it would be useless to try to persuade the buyers to take any other4 ,to show how extreme the convictions are in this matter of taste1 we quote from ,prof4 ,j4 ,f4 ,c4 ,du ,pre1 of the ,clemson ,agricultural ,college3 ,why any one should prefer the almost tasteless1 insipid white to the green 'grass1' into which the sunshine has put the flavor of ambrosia1 is beyond my comprehension4 ,on the other hand1 ,leboeuf1 the famous asparagus expert of ,argenteuil1 writes3 ,properly blanched asparagus is infinitely more tender and delicate than green4 ,to serve up green asparagus is to dishonor the table4 ,in recent years a compromise has been made between the two styles4 ,by allowing the tops of the hilled-up sprouts to grow four inches above the surface1 the upper half of the stalk is green while the lower half remains white4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bc--;,,basket ,,of ,,asparagus ,,ready ,,for ,,the ,,bunching ,,shed ,for green asparagus the sprouts are cut when six or seven inches high1 and then only so far below the surface as to furnish a stalk about nine inches long4 ,for the white style the rows have to be ridged twelve inches above the crowns1 and the stalks are cut as soon as the tops show above the ground1 the cutting off being eight or nine inches below the surface4 ,whichever method is followed1 it is very important to cut every day during the season1 and to cut clean at each cutting1 taking all the small sprouts as well as the large ones4 ,if the weak and spindling shoots are allowed to grow they will draw away the strength from the roots1 to the injury of the crop4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bd--;,,cutting ,,and ,,picking ,,up ,,asparagus ,,in ,a ,,ten-,,acre ,,field ,,of ,c4 ,w4 ,,prescott1 ,,middlesex ,,county1 ,,mass4 ,when cutting1 the sprout is taken in the left hand and the knife run down close alongside of it to the proper depth1 carefully avoiding other spears that are just beginning to push up all around the crown4 ,then the handle of the knife is moved away from the stalk1 to give it the proper slant1 the knife shoved down so as to sever the stalk with a tapering cut1 and at the same time the stalk is pulled out4 ,after cutting1 the asparagus should be removed out of the sun as soon as possible to prevent its wilting and discoloring4 ,usually this is done by dropping the stalks in a basket which1 when full 7,fig4 #bc71 is carried to the bunching shed4 ,on large plantations1 however1 the cutters leave the stalks on the ground to be picked up by boys following closely1 as seen in ,fig4 #bd4 ,to facilitate the picking up and carrying away1 horse carriers are used1 as shown in ,fig4 #be4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #be--;,,horse ,,carrier ,,for ,,ten ,,boxes ,,of ,,asparagus ,in some sections of ,europe1 especially at the famous asparagus regions of ,argenteuil1 a knife is never used4 ,according to ,w4 ,robinson3 ,the slightly hardened crust around the emerging bud and on top of the little mound is pushed aside1 the fore and middle finger separated are then thrust deeply into the soft soil1 pushing the earth outwards4 ,if a rising shoot be met with on the way down1 it is carefully avoided4 ,a second plunge of the two fingers and pushing out of the earth usually brings them to the hardened ground about the crest of the root2 the forefinger is then slipped behind the base of the shoot fit to gather1 and rushed gently outward1 when the shoot at once snaps clean off its base4 ,this plan has the advantage of leaving no mutilated shoots or decaying matter on the ground4 ,once gathered1 care is taken that the shoot is not exposed to the light1 but placed at once in a covered basket4 ,as soon as the stalk is gathered1 the earth is gently and loosely drawn up with the hand1 so as to leave the surface of the mound as it was before1 not pressing the earth in any way1 but keeping it quite free4 ,the shoots are not rubbed or cleaned in any way--it would disfigure them1 and they do not require it4 ,knives4--,there are several styles of knives for cutting asparagus1 but an ordinary ten-inch butcher-knife with the point cut square off1 leaving the end about an inch and a quarter wide and ground sharp like a chisel1 answers the purpose as well as any of the implements made especially for the purpose4 ,another serviceable tool for cutting asparagus is a carpenter's thin firmer-chisel1 one and one-half inches wide1 nearly flat1 and the thinnest that can be obtained ground on the convex side or back1 about an inch from the end1 which should be rounded off on the inside to prevent them from injuring sprouts near by4 ,other styles of asparagus knives are seen in ,fig4 #bf4 ,,sorting ,,and ,,bunching ,in some local markets asparagus is sold loose1 by weight1 in which case but little regard is paid to the size and length and color of the stalks1 nor to the style of packing4 ,this is the most profitable way for the grower to sell1 as it saves him all the expense and labor of bunching1 and as even the smallest stalks are thus salable1 there is no waste whatever1 while the prices obtained are about the same as those for first-class bunches--that is1 two pounds of loose asparagus sell for about the same price as a full-sized bunch4 ,but in city markets asparagus could hardly be sold in such a condition1 and it is of first importance that it should be carefully graded and neatly bunched4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bf--,,various ,,asparagus ,,knives ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bg--;,,end ,,and ,,side ,,view ,,of ,,prime ,,white ,,asparagus ,,bunches ,sorting4--,careful growers assort into three sizes3 extras1 primes1 and seconds4 ,the size and weight of the bunches vary somewhat in different markets4 ,bunches varying from six to twelve inches in length are received at wholesale centers1 but the most convenient and popular size for a bunch of prime white asparagus is eight and one-half inches long1 averaging thirty spears1 and weighing two pounds4 ,the side view of one and the end view of three bunches of this size of white asparagus are shown in ,fig4 #bg4 ,to assure uniformity some ingenious contrivances have been invented1 most of which are a great improvement over the old-time bunchers1 consisting merely of a board with four pins1 six inches long1 and placed about four inches apart each way1 to form a square4 ,two strings1 usually of bast matting1 were laid down on the board1 which was set on a bench up against the wall1 or had a back made of another board tacked on it at right angles4 ,the asparagus was laid on the buncher between the pins1 the tops touching the back or wall to keep them even4 ,when the bunch was large enough the strings were tied firmly1 and the butt end of the bunch cut square4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bh--;,,conover',s ,,asparagus ,,buncher ,bunchers4--,the modern bunchers are constructed of cast iron and are easily handled4 ,one of the first to come into use was ,conover's 7,fig4 #bh74 ,the principle of the operation is that the stalks are placed between two brass strips1 a hinged cover is brought down by means of a lever and held in place until the strings are tied4 ,two ties should be used1 one placed about two inches from either end4 ,the bunch must be tied so tightly that it will not loosen in handling and transportation to market4 ,the ,watt's ,buncher 7,fig4 #bi71 used extensively in ,new ,jersey1 is so arranged that the arms may be adjusted to any size bunch desired by simply loosening the bolts at either end1 and pulling out the arms so as to fit the shape of the bunch1 and thus both ends can be bunched properly4 ,the style of buncher and knives in favor with growers in the famous asparagus region near ,concord1 ,mass41 are seen in ,fig4 #cj1 and the process of bunching in ,fig4 #ca4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bi--,,watt',s ,,asparagus ,,buncher ,tying materials4--,twine1 ,cuban bast1 sisal1 and various other materials are used for tying1 but nothing is better for this purpose than raffia fiber4 ,this is obtained from the raffia or rofia palm1 a native of the island of ,madagascar4 ,the tree sends enormous branches from near the ground1 the pinnate leaves of which produce this fiber4 ,one palm frond will produce eighty to one hundred long1 green leaflets from two to five feet in length1 and from this the fiber is prepared4 ,silk lamba is also a product of this palm4 ,raffia fiber is now extensively used for tying up plants1 for grafting1 and many other purposes1 as it is very strong1 as soft as silk1 and is not affected by moisture or changes of temperature1 and it does not break or ravel when folded or knotted4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cj--,,rack ,,and ,,knives ,,used ,,in ,,new ,,england ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ca--;,,at ,,the ,,bunching ,,table ,rubber bands4--,the use of rubber bands for fastening asparagus bunches has recently been found to have some advantages not possessed by other materials4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,j4 ,green1 of the ,ohio ,experiment ,station1 writes in ,bulletin ,no4 #i3 ,the work can be done more rapidly and better4 ,the saving in time is fully one-third1 which will pay for the increased cost of rubber over string1 reckoning wages at seventy-five cents per day4 ,this difference might be less where expert tyers are employed1 or very low rates per hundred bunches are paid4 ,in any case1 the work can be done in a manner that is much more satisfactory to dealers with rubber than with string4 ,this is owing to the fact that rubber holds the bunches intact1 while string allows them to fall apart and to become unsightly4 ,doubtless1 in some cases1 dealers would be willing to pay more for bunches fastened with rubber than for those put up in the ordinary manner4 ,even though no difference is made in price for asparagus put up by the two methods1 the bunches fastened with rubber bands sell more readily than those tied with string4 ,rubber bands can be bought for two dollars per pound1 and the size best adapted to the purpose run about two thousand bands per pound1 or sufficient for one thousand bunches4 ,this makes rubber bands cost about two cents per dozen bunches more than string1 if the saving in labor is not taken into consideration4 ,the saving in the item of labor depends1 of course1 upon the kind of labor employed4 ,in determining the relative value of the two methods not only must cost of labor be taken into consideration1 but the character of the market as well4 ,when competition is not strong careful bunching is not a matter of great importance1 but in many markets it is essential that the bunches be put up in such a manner that they will not fall apart4 ,in such cases rubber bands will more than pay for their extra cost1 by insuring more ready sales1 if not by increasing the price4 ,the method employed in bunching with rubber bands is to slip a band over an ordinary teacup--one with straight sides and without a handle2 fill the cup with asparagus shoots1 the heads downward1 and then slip the band from the cup to the bunch4 ,this makes a bunch of about the right size1 and gives the upper end a nicely rounded appearance4 ,all that remains to be done is to slip on another band and to square the butts with a sharp knife4 ,possibly a metallic cup would answer better1 being thinner1 but a teacup is not objectionable in this particular4 ,if smaller bunches are desired than the smallest cup that can be found1 it is not necessary to fill the cup4 ,,marketing ,during the entire process of cutting1 sorting1 bunching1 and packing great care must be exercised not to bruise or in any way injure the heads1 as the gummy juice of these soon heats and spoils the whole4 ,they should also be kept cool and dry1 else the moisture causes decay4 ,of course if1 when cutting1 the ground is wet1 some of the soil will adhere to the lower ends of the stalks2 this has to be rinsed off in clean water1 but not by immersing the entire stalk4 ,if the bunches are to be kept over night1 before packing1 the butts should be dipped in clean water and stood on end on a cold cellar bottom1 or upon grass or hay that has been thoroughly wet2 but the crowns1 or the green portions of the sprouts1 should never be sprinkled or wet4 ,it is a common practice to set the bunches in shallow pans containing water1 but this is apt to give a bitter taste to the stalks4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cb--;,,box ,,of ,,giant ,,asparagus ,,ready ,,for ,,shipment ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cc--,,southern ,,asparagus ,,crate1 ,,containing #bd ,,bunches ,,of ,,green ,,asparagus ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cd--;,,end ,,piece ,,of ,,southern ,,crate ,crates4--,there is no standard shape or size of crates for shipping asparagus1 and in the wholesale markets of ,new ,york ,city a great variety of styles is found4 ,of late ordinary twenty-four or thirty-two quart berry crates have come into favor with near by growers1 as they are cheap1 light1 and easily handled4 ,in these the bunches are laid down flat1 in tiers1 alternating the butt ends so that when the crates are full the top row is level with the cover4 ,some growers1 of very fine asparagus even1 use solid wooden boxes4 ,fig4 #cb shows such a box containing three dozen bunches4 ,a crate with the top a few inches narrower than the bottom has the advantage that it holds the bunches more firmly together than straight-sided boxes4 ,fig4 #cc shows a crate containing two dozen bunches of green asparagus ready for shipment1 with the exception of the slats to be nailed on the side4 ,fig4 #cd shows the shape of the end pieces4 ,these crates are made of various sizes1 according to the length of the bunches4 ,the crate here illustrated was #bd inches long1 #ab inches high1 #ai inches wide at the bottom1 and #ad-a_/b inches at the top1 inside measurement4 ,the end boards were #g_/h of an inch thick1 and the slats about half an inch4 ,in shipping to a distant market some thoroughly wet grass1 or sphagnum moss1 should be put in the bottom of the crate1 the bunches stood on ends1 butt down1 and pressed so tightly together that they can not move or shift in handling4 ,the crate should have a tight bottom and ends4 ,the sides may be tight half way up1 and the rest of the sides and the top should be slatted4 ,this keeps the butts moist and the tops dry and cool4 ,,xii ,,forcing ,the forcing of asparagus in various methods has been practiced for centuries1 and is rapidly developing into an important industry4 ,the forcing may be done in any place where a temperature of #ej to #fj can be secured1 in the greenhouse1 hotbed1 pit1 cellar1 or in the garden and field4 ,whichever plan is pursued1 the management of the plants to be forced is the same4 ,the roots should not be less than three years old1 and1 if obtainable1 four or five-year-old plants are to be preferred4 ,these may be dug up from ordinary out-of-door plantations1 or1 if the forcing is to be done on a large scale and as a permanent industry1 the plants have to be grown from seed for this special purpose4 ,to keep up a continuous succession new sowings have to be made every year4 ,the sowing of the seed and the management of the plants during the first year is the same as described in ,chapter ,v4 ,the following year1 as early as the season permits1 the one-year-old seedlings are planted out in rows1 to develop as much strength as possible4 ,as the plants are to remain only two years in the nursery bed1 they may be placed closer than in a permanent plantation4 ,a distance of two and one-half feet between the rows and one foot in the rows is1 however1 the narrowest limit1 and1 where enough ground is available1 three by one and one-half or two feet would be still better4 ,by purchasing one-year-old plants a year's time may be gained1 but otherwise there are decided advantages in raising one's own plants4 ,during the following two seasons the ground has to be kept in the best possible tilth1 and at the end of the third season from seed the roots may be dug just before the ground is likely to freeze4 ,in lifting the roots it is important not to expose them to the drying influence of the sun and air more than is unavoidable4 ,it is also important to preserve the entire clump intact with as much soil adhering to the roots and crown as possible4 ,they are then placed in a shed1 pit1 or cool cellar1 and covered with sand or soil to prevent their drying out4 ,moderate freezing does not injure the roots1 and some growers think that it even adds to their forcing value4 ,,forcing ,,in ,,the ,,greenhouse ,with florists the forcing of asparagus has this important advantage3 that the income obtained from it is nearly all gain1 as the space under the benches1 which may thus be utilized1 is of but little use for other purposes4 ,if the floor under the benches is soil this is dug out so as to form a pit about a foot deep1 or at least a few inches deeper than the clumps are high4 ,three or four inches of good rich soil is scattered over the bottom1 and upon this the clumps are placed close together4 ,dry1 mellow soil is then scattered between and over the clumps1 so that the crowns are covered one or two inches1 and given a thorough watering4 ,if blanched shoots are desired1 the crowns will have to be covered with six or eight inches of soil4 ,the same object may be obtained by shutting off the light1 which can easily be accomplished under greenhouse benches4 ,where it is not practicable to make excavations under the benches1 a pit may be constructed by placing boards against the posts and filling in the space thus furnished4 ,to secure a succession1 new roots from the reserve stock have to be planted every three or four weeks4 ,for the first week or ten days after placing the roots in the forcing-pit they should be kept rather cool1 so as to give them a chance to become established4 ,a temperature of #de to #ej is best1 at first4 ,afterward it should be raised to #ee to #fj1 and during the day it may rise as high as #hj to #he4 ,but1 as a rule1 very high temperatures induce a spindling growth4 ,during the entire forcing process asparagus requires a large amount of water1 but unless it has the chill taken off1 and ample means for drainage are provided1 it may do far more harm than good4 ,the interval between the time of planting and the first cutting varies greatly1 according to the temperature and other conditions4 ,the following are actual dates of asparagus forcing under benches at ,cornell ,university3 ,plants taken from an old patch ,november #bith and set under benches three days later4 ,december #dth1 shoots just pushing through4 ,december #hth1 first shoots cut1 averaging nine inches long4 ,december #adth1 first good cutting1 shoots running from six to fifteen inches long4 ,december #ahth1 second good cutting4 ,december #bfth1 a good cutting1 some of the shoots having remained too long and become woody2 some of these shoots were two feet long4 ,january #ajth1 a heavy cutting4 ,january #aith1 cut about half as many shoots as on the #ajth4 ,january #cjth1 cut about as much as on the #aith1 but shoots growing smaller4 ,february #ajth1 small cutting of weak shoots4 ,beyond this time there were no shoots worth cutting4 ,,forcing ,,in ,,hotbeds ,,and ,,frames ,the forcing of asparagus in hotbeds does not differ materially from that in the greenhouse1 except in the supply of heat4 ,a most suitable place for forcing asparagus1 writes ,william ,scott1 in ,garden and ,forest1 is a frame about four feet deep with one-fourth inch hot-water pipe running around it4 ,about two and one-half feet of fresh stable litter should be put into the frame and firmly packed1 with an inch or two of sand spread over it4 ,this bed should be allowed to stand until the heat of the manure has declined to about #gj1 and not below #fe1 before the crowns are placed on it4 ,for this work advantage should be taken of a day when the weather is mild1 as the crowns are easily damaged by frost4 ,large crowns five or six years old are preferable to smaller ones for forcing4 ,they may be placed rather closely together in the frame1 but the distance apart must be regulated by their size4 ,the roots should be spread evenly over the surface and covered with six inches of sand4 ,little water will be required1 as the steam from the manure affords considerable moisture2 but if the bed should become dry1 it may be moistened with water of the same temperature as the soil in the frame4 ,a little air may be admitted1 when the day is bright and warm1 to keep the temperature from rising above #hj4 ,when the points of the shoots begin to appear above the sand the crop is ready to cut4 ,when ground is plentiful1 a supply of forcing crowns can be kept up by sowing a little seed every year1 having five or six successions1 the oldest plants being forced for cutting4 ,with ,french gardeners it is customary to plunge the frames in warm stable manure and place the roots directly in the manure1 packed as closely together as possible4 ,a mere sprinkling of soil is placed over them4 ,as a result the shoots come up very thick4 ,only strong1 fine three-year-old roots are used1 and as many as five crops of roots follow each other through the autumn1 winter1 and spring in the same frame4 ,straw mats are used to cover the frames at night4 ,,forcing ,,in ,,the ,,field ,forcing asparagus where it is grown in the field has a twofold advantage over removing the roots to a warm place4 ,first1 it saves the trouble and expense of transplanting them1 which must be done with much care2 and1 second1 it saves the plants from being ruined by the forcing process4 ,plants forced in the field where they grow will1 if given good care1 regain their vigor in a season or two1 and may be used again for forcing4 ,by this latter method a better quality and a larger quantity of marketable asparagus is also secured4 ,various means have been devised to force asparagus in the field1 where it is so well established that it continues growth in the summer as though it had not been forced the previous winter4 ,a simple and rather common method of accomplishing this is to place barrels over clumps of asparagus very early in the spring and pile fermenting manure about them1 the warmth from the manure forcing the shoots into rapid growth4 ,when the forcing season is over and the danger from frost is past the barrels are removed1 and the plants continue growth in the open air4 ,sometimes asparagus is forced by placing frames1 covered with sash1 over the plants in the field1 the rows of asparagus being set rather close together4 ,this is considered a very profitable method by many market gardeners4 ,another method of forcing asparagus in the field is to dig ditches between the rows and fill them with fermenting manure4 ,the surface of the bed may also be mulched with manure4 ,the latter plan is extensively practiced by ,french market gardeners4 ,at the beginning of ,november the pathways between the beds of asparagus are dug up about two feet in depth and width4 ,the soil coming from the pathway is divided very carefully and put about eight inches thick on the surface of the bed4 ,the trench is filled up with fresh stable manure1 not litter1 and frames are placed on the bed4 ,the manure should rise as high as the top of the frames and the lights be entirely covered with mats and litter to prevent the heat accumulating in the frame from escaping4 ,in about two or three weeks the asparagus begins to show itself on the surface of the bed4 ,many market gardeners cover the whole of the bed inside the frames to a thickness of three or four inches with manure1 to force the vegetation more quickly2 but in this case the manure must be removed when the asparagus begins to shoot4 ,when the shoots are about three inches out of the ground they may be cut4 ,the mats must be taken off in the daytime1 but the heat must be well kept up1 else the roots and buds will fail to push4 ,the beds are forced every second year only4 ,the gathering of the asparagus may continue for about two months but no longer1 or the plantation would be injured4 ,when the gathering is over the frames are taken away1 and the soil which was dug up from the alleys is put back again4 ,an ingenious method of forcing asparagus in the field by means of shallow tunnels was devised and successfully carried out by ,prof4 ,j4 ,c4 ,whitten1 at the ,missouri ,experiment ,station1 who gives the following account in ,bulletin ,no4 #dc3 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ce--,,tunnel ,,through ,,the ,,rows ,,of ,,asparagus ,,for ,,forcing ,,steam ,,through ,,the ,,soil ,the field selected for the experiment was planted to asparagus about ten years ago4 ,the plants were in fair vigor1 though of a small variety4 ,the first section forced embraced six rows1 four feet apart1 and fifty feet long4 ,fig4 #ce shows this section with one tunnel uncovered4 ,trenches were first made between the rows4 ,this was done by plowing between them1 twice in a place1 throwing the furrows on the plants so as to cover each row with two furrows of loose earth4 ,these trenches between the rows were then made uniform by means of the spade4 ,when finished they were three or four inches lower than the crowns of asparagus in the adjacent rows4 ,these trenches were then covered with twelve-inch boards1 which rested on four-inch blocks1 placed at frequent intervals along either side of the trenches4 ,this formed tunnels between the rows for conducting the steam4 ,to guard against the steam's escaping1 two or three inches of soil was placed over the boards1 and the asparagus patch was then covered with five or six inches of horse manure4 ,this covering was to prevent the heat from escaping from the soil too rapidly4 ,it was then ready for the steam to be turned into the tunnels4 ,to conduct the steam a one and one-half inch pipe was carried above ground from the boiler to one end of the central tunnel1 a distance of one hundred and eighty-five feet4 ,a steam hose long enough to reach each tunnel was attached to this pipe through which to blow steam into the tunnels4 ,it was not the idea to give a constant supply of steam1 but to discharge a little into the tunnels each afternoon1 or as often as was necessary to maintain sufficient warmth4 ,a piece of tile was inserted into the mouth of each tunnel to prevent the discharging steam from tearing away the earth4 ,the first steam was turned into the tunnels on ,november #adth4 ,steam was discharged into each tunnel1 not to exceed five minutes at a time1 in order not to heat the earth too hot in any single place4 ,it required about one hour of steaming the first day to bring the bed up to the required temperature of sixty degrees4 ,the distribution of heat throughout the bed was very uniform and satisfactory4 ,the moist steam seemed to permeate the soil equally in all directions4 ,after the first day very little steaming was necessary until the asparagus began to be produced4 ,on an average the bed was steamed about twice in three days and then only for about five minutes for each tunnel4 ,the soil and horse manure mulch seemed to hold the heat very well1 the frequent steamings keeping up fermentation in the mulch4 ,the first asparagus was cut ,november #bdth1 ten days after the first steam was applied4 ,the stems were cut just before they got through the soil and were perfectly bleached4 ,they were as large as those ordinarily produced during the normal period of growth in spring1 and were far more crisp and delicious4 ,cuttings of asparagus were made almost daily for about a month1 when the growth became somewhat weak4 ,the last cutting was made on ,december #bb;d4 ,during the month #ada bunches of the ordinary market size1 and weighing about one-half pound each1 were cut from this bed of #be x #ej feet4 ,this was equivalent to #cjj feet of row or #ajj hills of asparagus4 ,exhausting steam into the asparagus bed1 instead of returning it to the boiler in an inclosed circuit1 would at first seem to be a wasteful process of heating4 ,experiment showed1 however1 that the circumstances justified this method4 ,heating a bed of this kind by a circuit of steam-pipes or hot-water pipes is very unsatisfactory4 ,the heat from pipes very soon dries out the soil around the tunnels1 destroying its power to conduct heat4 ,in this way the bed becomes too hot and dry adjacent to the tunnels and too cold a short distance from them4 ,it also becomes necessary to maintain heat in the pipes a good part of the time4 ,by blowing steam directly into the tunnels the soil is kept moist2 the steam has a penetrating effect1 and permeates all parts of the bed1 giving a uniform heat throughout2 this moist steam keeps up a continual fermentation of the manure mulch1 thus giving heat1 and only occasional brief steamings are necessary4 ,care must be taken not to use too much steam at one time1 or the plants may be ruined by overheating4 ,our asparagus rows were four feet apart1 the tunnels midway between them were only eight inches wide1 and yet we found that five minutes at a time was as long as was safe to force steam into a single tunnel4 ,these experiments have been so successful as to indicate that any one provided with a steam-heating plant could successfully force asparagus for the markets in this manner4 ,another plan of forcing asparagus in the field1 devised by ,prof4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey1 is thus described in his ,forcing ,book3 ,the ,cornell asparagus house--if it may be called a house--is about twenty by fifty feet and the frame is made of steam-pipes4 ,the sides1 or walls1 are only eighteen inches high1 and the frame consists simply of a ridge and three pairs of rafters4 ,the steam-heating pipe or riser is just beneath the ridge1 and this feeds two returns upon either side of the house1 next the walls4 ,when it is desired to force the asparagus1 canvas or muslin is stretched over the frames4 ,no difficulty has been found in starting the asparagus into growth in ,january and ,february4 ,the cover is left on and the heat kept up until all danger of frost is past1 when the canvas is removed and the plants grow naturally out-of-doors4 ,the secret of this method will no doubt be found to lie in allowing the plantation to become very thoroughly established 7at least1 three or four years old7 before forcing is attempted1 in the very best tillage and fertilizing during the summer while the plants are growing1 in taking off the cover just as soon as settled weather comes1 and in not cutting the plants until after that time4 ,,xiii ,,preserving ,,asparagus ,,canning ,the canning factory has made asparagus a vegetable for every day of the year instead of being a luxury for a few weeks1 as was formerly the case4 ,the canners have made it a farm crop instead of a garden product4 ,to a great extent canning has transformed the farm into a garden1 increasing the profits from every acre planted many fold4 ,in many localities an acre of what was formerly considered a sandy waste is now yielding more than double the net profit of the best acre under cultivation in ordinary farm crops4 ,eastern methods4--,the pioneers in this industry on ,long ,island1 ,n4 ,y41 have been the ,messrs4 ,hudson ,sons1 who have extensive plants at ,mattituck and ,riverhead1 each of them as complete as mechanical skill and enterprise can make them4 ,each plant consists of a storehouse1 #ej x #aej feet2 a packing-house1 #dj x #abe feet2 and a can manufactory1 #be x #fj feet4 ,a steam-engine of ten horse-power is required for hoisting1 pumping1 and for generating gas for the soldering-heaters1 and a boiler of one hundred horse-power to generate steam for sterilizing the asparagus4 ,a perspective view of one of the plants is seen in ,fig4 #cf4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cf--,,perspective ,,view ,,of ,a ,,long ,,island ,,asparagus ,,cannery ,the asparagus1 as it comes from the growers1 is in bunches seven and one-half inches long and weighing two and one-half pounds each4 ,these bunches are put under a cutter and cut to six and five-eighths inches2 they are then untied and put in a tank four feet wide by eight feet long and two feet deep1 in which they are washed as carefully as it is possible to do it4 ,it is then hoisted up to what is called the blanching tank1 which contains forty gallons4 ,in this it is kept at a scalding heat for one-half hour1 when it is ready for the cans4 ,these are filled by women who soon become very dextrous1 which is always the case when the pay is in proportion to the amount of work done4 ,each can contains just one and one-half pounds4 ,exact weight is imperative1 as are details in all manufacturing establishments4 ,great care is exercised in packing1 so that there are no bruised or broken heads1 and that on opening the can the stalks may appear as well as if cut fresh from the garden4 ,after the asparagus is in the cans they are filled with a weak brine1 which not only expels the air1 but adds materially to the flavor of the asparagus4 ,the cans are then taken to the soldering-bench for sealing up4 ,there systematic labor is noticeable1 as every detail of canning must be carried on systematically to make it profitable4 ,the soldering-irons used are hollow and the exact size of the caps1 which fit perfectly the grooves made for them4 ,a single turn of the iron finishes the work4 ,before the caps are put in their places a small hole is made in each to allow the gas1 which is generated by the heat from the soldering1 to escape4 ,without this precaution it would be impossible to hermetically seal the cans4 ,a single drop of solder closes the small opening1 and the cans are ready for the retorts for sterilizing4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #cg--,,sterilizing ,,tank ,here two methods are employed--dry steam1 which is the quicker method1 and boiling in a closed tank4 ,most of the first-class stock is sterilized in the latter4 ,this tank 7,fig4 #cg7 is in three sections1 in all twenty feet long1 each section holding five hundred cans4 ,the cans are put in iron cribs and are pushed in and taken out with steam elevators4 ,as soon as the cans are lowered the sections are closed tightly and the steam is turned on4 ,the first process of sterilization lasts twenty minutes1 when the tank is opened1 the cans taken out1 and a vent given each4 ,this permits the accumulated gas to escape1 which1 if allowed to remain1 would materially injure the quality of the asparagus1 both in flavor and preservation4 ,for this work a small prick punch is used1 which makes a hole not larger than a pin's head4 ,this vent is almost immediately closed with a single drop of solder and the cans are again returned to the tanks1 where the same operation of cooking is repeated4 ,another twenty minutes completes the work1 when the cans are removed to the packing-room1 where they are labeled1 wrapped1 and packed ready for shipment4 ,the cans or boxes are seven inches long1 four wide1 and two and one-half deep4 ,a view of the sterilizing-room is presented in ,fig4 #ch4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ch--,,view ,,of ,,sterilizing-,,room ,the culls1 which are put up as tips1 are small-sized and crooked heads which1 although of equal value as a vegetable1 are not shipped to market1 as they would detract from the value of the first quality1 and are considered by both farmers and canners as by-products4 ,these are cut to three and one-half inches in length1 and then go through the same process in canning as the first quality1 except that dry steam only is used in sterilization4 ,after going through the blanching process the tips are put in round cans1 four inches in diameter and five inches high4 ,after soldering up these cans they are put in the retorts1 which are three feet square1 each containing five hundred cans1 and treated with steam two hundred and fifty pounds to the inch4 ,the cans remain in these retorts half an hour4 ,then they are taken out1 vented1 put back again1 and remain under the same pressure another half hour1 when the work is completed4 ,by rigid economy even in the most minute detail1 and by the skill required in the knowledge of canning1 asparagus can now be had at a reasonable price at all seasons of the year1 which is a boon to both producer and consumer4 ,at #ad4jj per one hundred bunches for ,no4 #a and #g4jj per hundred bunches for ,no4 #b1 or culls1 asparagus is one of the most profitable of agricultural crops1 and even at one-half these prices it is a much better paying crop than potatoes at #ej cents per bushel4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ci--;,,interior ,,view ,,of ,a ,,california ,,asparagus ,,cannery ,pacific ,coast methods4--,canning and preserving of asparagus in ,california is carried on on as grand a scale as are most other undertakings4 ,an idea of the extent and importance of this comparatively new industry may readily be conceived when it is considered that one establishment alone1 ,the ,hickmott ,asparagus ,canning ,co41 on ,bouldin ,island1 in the ,san ,joaquin ,river1 has recently shipped an entire train-load of canned asparagus from ,san ,francisco to ,new ,york4 ,this train consisted of fifteen freight-cars containing #fjj cases each1 making a total of #i1jjj cases1 averaging forty-eight pounds each1 thus making an actual weight of #dcb1jjj pounds4 ,by far the larger portion of the yearly asparagus crop in ,california is canned or preserved in glass1 and in that shape sent to the ,east1 exported to ,england and the continent of ,europe1 and1 in fact1 to every civilized country of the world4 ,for canneries where nothing but the white product is put up the shoots are cut the instant they show their tips above the surface4 ,the canneries are located as near the fields as possible1 the effort being to get the product in glass or cans before it becomes in any way withered1 the important point being that asparagus is never allowed to become dried4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dj--,,perspective ,,view ,,of ,,canning ,,plants ,,at ,,bouldin ,,island ,the method employed at ,bouldin ,island1 where a crop of #a1ejj acres is canned annually1 is to have troughs containing running water in shady places in the fields4 ,the asparagus1 as fast as cut1 is brought to these troughs1 and is thoroughly washed4 ,these troughs are just wide enough to take in the shoots of the proper length for canning1 and each piece is trimmed before being immersed4 ,from the troughs the asparagus is taken to the sorting table1 then on to the scalding vats until it reaches the fillers1 where is completed the systematic handling of this product1 packing it to perfection1 nothing remaining except to be labeled1 when it is ready to be forwarded to the markets of the world4 ,the entire process from the time the stalks are taken from the ground to the time they are ready for the table consumes less than six hours4 ,the process throughout is a marvel of cleanliness1 particular attention and stress being laid on every detail connected with it4 ,no bleaching agents or anything foreign or deleterious whatever is used in the packing of this plant4 ,in ,fig4 #ci is seen the interior of one of these canneries1 where the especially constructed solderless cans of the company are being packed4 ,everything connected with the growing1 harvesting1 and canning is done on ,bouldin ,island1 save only the printing of the labels4 ,that the operators may be lodged in comfort the company has erected modern cottages for their employs who have families1 besides well-equipped boarding-houses4 ,the development and growth of this asparagus cannery is one of the marvels of ,california4 ,starting ten years ago with a rented boiler1 under the arched dome of the sky for a roof1 and nothing but the shade of weeping willows for a storehouse1 as seen in the ,frontispiece1 it has developed into a superb plant1 equipped with all modern appliances4 ,during the active season #a1ejj hands are employed directly and indirectly by the canning company1 and the estimated output for the average season is #aej1jjj cases4 ,figs4 #dj and #da present perspective views of some of the asparagus canneries on ,bouldin ,island4 ,,drying ,although the drying of asparagus is not much practiced in ,america1 it is well worth the attention of those who at times have a surplus of fresh stalks4 ,dried asparagus is especially recommended for soups and sauces1 and if properly prepared it is no less desirable as a table vegetable4 ,dried asparagus keeps indefinitely1 and cost of transportation is largely reduced4 ,for the latter purpose medium-sized spears are most suitable1 as they dry more evenly than larger ones4 ,some recommend the peeling or scalding of the stalks before drying1 but this is not essential1 and1 if desired1 may be done after steaming4 ,on a large scale the drying may be done in any modern evaporator4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #da--;,,cannery ,,in ,,asparagus ,,fields ,for home use the most satisfactory way is to string the stalks with a large needle and strong thread through the butt ends of the stalks1 and hang them along buildings or fences where they are exposed to the full rays of the sun4 ,to insure a uniform drying it is important that all the spears on the string are of the same thickness1 as the thicker ones require more time to dry than those of smaller size4 ,when the air is dry and warm one day's exposure to the sun will be sufficient to dry them4 ,otherwise the strings will have to be hung up in the kitchen in the evening1 or in some other dry place over night1 to be brought out again the following morning1 until the asparagus is perfectly dry4 ,it is then ready to be put in boxes or loose bags and stored in a dry place4 ,if the stalks have been peeled before drying1 when desired for use they are placed in cold water for half an hour1 some salt is added1 and they are cooked like fresh asparagus4 ,for preparing dried asparagus that has not been peeled before drying1 ,dr4 ,brinckmeier recommends taking a sufficient number of the dried stalks and place them in water1 which1 while not boiling1 is very near the boiling point1 and keeping them there until they resume their succulent1 smooth1 fresh appearance4 ,to keep the water just right a double boiler is best1 with the stalks in the inner one4 ,the water in the outer vessel should be kept at a steady boil4 ,as the stalks resume the fresh appearance1 take them out carefully one by one and place in cold water until cooled1 after which place on a dish to dry4 ,they should be carefully scalded to remove the hard outside skin1 done up in a bundle1 either by tying with strings or wrapping in a piece of netting1 placed in boiling water1 to which a little salt has been added1 and allowed to remain there a few moments--a very few1 for it cooks quickly--until done4 ,these methods are recommended for white asparagus only1 and when properly dried and cooked asparagus so treated is by many considered to be hardly distinguishable from the freshly cut1 although it looses its white color in the process4 ,smaller and green stalks may be dried on wire frames or wooden racks over the kitchen stove1 similar to apples4 ,,xiv ,,injurious ,,insects ,while a number of different insects feed upon the asparagus plant1 there are only two species which have so far become extensively distributed and caused serious damage in the ,united ,states4 ,both of these were imported from ,europe1 and are limited for their food supply to the asparagus plant4 ,,the ,,common ,,asparagus ,,beetle,a 7,crioceris asparagi7 ,this beetle is by far the most important enemy of the asparagus plant4 ,it was first noticed in this country at ,astoria1 ,l4 ,i41 now a part of ,new ,york ,city1 in #ahei1 but its actual introduction into that locality occurred about #ahef4 ,the injury inflicted by this insect is due to the work of both adults and larv upon the tender shoots1 which they render unfit for market1 early in the season4 ,later they destroy1 by defoliation1 growing plants1 and are particularly injurious to seedlings1 the roots of which are weakened by having their tops devoured4 ,larv1 as well as beetles1 attack the tenderest portions of the plants1 but the latter gnaw with seemingly equal relish the epidermis1 or rind1 of the stems4 ,the beetles are also accused of gnawing young shoots beneath the surface1 causing them to become woody and crooked in growth4 ,the beetle illustrated in ,fig4 #db is a most beautiful creature--from the entomologist's point of view--slender and graceful in form1 blue-black in color1 with red thorax and lemon-yellow and dark blue elytra or wing covers1 with reddish border4 ,its length is a trifle less than one-fourth of an inch4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #db--;,,common ,,asparagus ,,beetle a1 beetle2 b1 egg2 c1 newly hatched larva2 d1 full-grown larva ,from the scene of its first colonization in ,queen's ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 the insect migrated to the other truck-growing portions of ,long ,island4 ,it soon reached southern ,connecticut1 and has now extended its range northward through ,massachusetts to ,new ,hampshire4 ,southward it has traveled through ,new ,jersey1 where it was first noticed in #ahfh1 to southern ,virginia4 ,at present it is well established in the principal asparagus-growing sections of ,new ,england1 of ,new ,jersey1 ,delaware1 and ,maryland1 and is present in ,pennsylvania1 ,new ,york1 and ,ohio4 ,the question of distribution is an important one1 as this species is rapidly extending its range4 ,in a very few years we may expect its spread to other portions of the ,states in which it is now local1 and later it will naturally move westward to ,indiana and other ,states west and south of there4 ,the insect passes the winter in the beetle state under convenient shelter1 and toward the end of ,april or early in ,may1 according to locality1 or at the season for cutting the asparagus for market1 issues from its hibernating quarters and lays its eggs for the first brood4 ,the eggs are deposited endwise upon the stem or foliage1 and in the early spring upon the developed stalks1 usually in rows of from two to six1 or more4 ,in from three to eight days the eggs hatch1 the young larv1 commonly called grubs or worms1 presenting the appearance indicated in ,fig4 #db1 c4 ,they at once begin to feed1 and are from ten days to a fortnight1 according to ,fitch and others1 in attaining full growth4 ,when full grown the larva appears as in ,fig4 #db1 d4 ,it is soft and fleshy1 much wrinkled1 and in color dark gray or olive1 which usually becomes lighter and yellowish with age4 ,the mature larva enters the earth1 and here1 within a little rounded1 dirt-covered cocoon which it forms1 the pupa state is assumed4 ,in from five to eight or more days the adult beetle is produced1 which soon issues from the ground in search of food and of a suitable place for the continuance of the species4 ,in ,fig4 #dc is shown a spray of asparagus1 with the common asparagus beetle in its different stages1 asparagus top at the right showing eggs and injury4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dc--,,spray ,,and ,,top ,,of ,,asparagus ,,attacked ,,by ,,beetles ,the duration of the life cycle is about thirty days from the time the eggs are laid until the insects attain maturity1 but the time is shorter in the hotter parts of a season than in the cooler days of ,may or ,september4 ,in the ,district of ,columbia the eggs1 in the warmest part of midsummer1 develop in three days and the pup in five days4 ,from this it may be estimated that1 in the very warmest weather1 the development of the insect may be effected in about three weeks from the time the egg is laid4 ,in colder climates and in spring and autumn the development from egg to beetle will require from four to perhaps seven weeks4 ,in the northern range of the species1 two and perhaps three broods are usually produced1 and farther southward there is a possibility of at least a fourth generation4 ,in the latitude of the ,district of ,columbia the beetles usually disappear to enter into hibernation in the latter days of ,september4 ,the common asparagus beetle has very efficient checks in the shape of predaceous insects1 which prey upon its larv and assist in preventing its undue increase4 ,one of the most active of these predaceous insects is the spotted ladybird 7,megilla maculata ,de,g471 represented in its several stages in the illustration 7,fig4 #dd47 ,the adult of this beetle is rose-colored1 with numerous black spots4 ,the spined soldier-bug 7,podisus spinosus ,dal47 and the bordered soldier-bug 7,stiretrus anchorado ,fab47 are also useful as destroyers of asparagus beetle larv1 which they catch and kill by impaling them upon their long beaks and sucking out their juices4 ,certain species of wasps and small dragon-flies also prey upon the larv4 ,asparagus beetles are very susceptible to sudden changes of temperature1 and immense numbers of hibernating beetles are sometimes killed in winter during severe cold spells following open weather4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dd--,,spotted ,,ladybird a1 larva2 b1 empty pupal skin2 c1 beetle1 with enlarged antenna above ,remedies4--,the common asparagus beetle1 under ordinary circumstances1 may be held in restraint by the simplest means4 ,chickens and ducks are efficient destroyers of the insect1 and their services are often brought into requisition for this purpose4 ,a practice that is in high favor among prominent asparagus growers is to cut down all plants1 including volunteer growth1 in early spring to force the beetles to deposit their eggs upon new shoots1 which are then cut every day before the eggs have time to hatch4 ,another measure of value consists in permitting a portion of the shoots to grow and serve as lures for the beetles4 ,here they may be killed with insecticides1 or the plants1 after they become covered with eggs1 may be cut down and burned1 and other shoots be allowed to grow up as decoys4 ,one of the best and least expensive remedies against the larv is fresh air-slacked lime dusted on the plants in the early morning while the dew is on4 ,it quickly destroys all the grubs with which it comes in contact4 ,the lime may be conveniently applied by means of a whisk-broom or a ,paris green sifter4 ,even dry road dust applied in this manner will have a beneficial effect4 ,the special merit of these insecticides is that they can be used without the least danger upon young shoots being cut for market or home use4 ,paris green and other arsenites1 applied dry in powder1 mixed with flour or plaster1 or in solution1 answer equally well1 after cutting has ceased1 and possess the advantage of destroying beetles as well as larv4 ,one pound of ,paris green to a barrel of fine plaster makes a sufficiently strong mixture4 ,it may be necessary to make two of these applications at intervals or as often as the larv reappear on the plants4 ,powdered hellebore mixed with flour1 one part to ten1 or in solution of one ounce of hellebore to three gallons of water1 is also very effective against the young larv4 ,pyrethrum or buhach may be used in similar manner1 and kerosene emulsion has been highly recommended by some experimenters4 ,in hot weather1 when the soil is dry1 the larv may be brushed or shaken from the plants so that they will drop to the heated ground1 where they die1 being unable to regain the shelter of the plants4 ,whichever methods for the destruction of this pest are adopted1 unless the work be done thoroughly and with concerted action by all the growers in the section1 the relief can not be permanent4 ,,the ,,twelve-,,spotted ,,asparagus ,,beetle 7,crioceris #ab-punctata ,linn7 ,the presence of this insect in ,america was first detected in #ahha1 and it is still much rarer and consequently less injurious than the preceding species4 ,in ,europe1 where it is apparently native1 it is common but not especially destructive4 ,the chief source of damage from this species is from the work of the hibernated beetles in early spring upon the young and edible asparagus shoots4 ,later beetles as well as larv appear to feed exclusively upon the berries4 ,the eggs are deposited singly1 and apparently by preference1 upon old plants toward the end of shoots1 which1 lower down1 bear ripening berries1 and they are attached along their sides instead of at one end1 as in the case with the eggs of the common species4 ,soon after the larva hatches from the egg it finds its way to an asparagus berry1 enters it1 and feeds upon the pulp4 ,in due time it leaves the first berry for another one1 and when full growth is attained it deserts its last larval habitation and enters the earth1 where it transforms to pupa and afterward to the adult beetle4 ,the life cycle does not differ materially from that of the common species1 and there are probably the same or nearly as many generations developed4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #de--,,twelve-,,spotted ,,asparagus ,,beetle a1 beetle2 b1 larva2 c1 second abdominal segment of larva2 d1 same of common asparagus beetle ,this species is at present distributed throughout the asparagus-growing country of ,new ,jersey1 particularly in the vicinity of the ,delaware ,river1 the whole of ,delaware1 nearly the entire state of ,maryland1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the southeastern portion of ,pennsylvania bordering the state line of ,new ,jersey1 northeastern ,virginia in the vicinity of the western shore of the ,potomac ,river1 ,staten ,island1 and ,monroe ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 the last mentioned being the most northern locality known for the species4 ,the mature beetle in life rivals the common asparagus beetle in beauty1 but may be distinguished by its much broader wing covers and its color4 ,the ground color is orange red1 each wing cover is marked with six black dots1 and the knees and a portion of the under surface of the thorax are also marked with black1 as seen in ,fig4 #de1 a4 ,the beetle as it appears on the plant when in fruit very closely resembles1 at a little distance1 a ripe asparagus berry4 ,the full-grown larva is shown in ,fig4 #de1 b4 ,it measures1 when extended1 three-tenths of an inch1 being of about the same proportions as the larva of the common species1 but is readily separable by its ochraceous orange color4 ,fig4 #de1 c1 shows the second abdominal segment of larva1 and d same of the common asparagus beetle1 much enlarged4 ,remedies4--,the remedies are those indicated for the common asparagus beetle1 with the possible exception of caustic lime and other measures that are directed solely against that species1 but the habit of the larva of living within the berry places it for that period beyond the reach of insecticides4 ,the collection and destruction of the asparagus berries before ripening might be a solution of the problem1 but it is questionable if recourse to this measure would be necessary1 save in cases of an exceptional abundance of the insect4 ,,the ,,asparagus ,,miner 7,agromyza simplex7 ,in a recent bulletin from the ,new ,york ,experiment ,station1 ,prof4 ,f4 ,a4 ,sirrine describes a comparatively new and injurious insect on asparagus4 ,it was discovered on ,long ,island1 and injures the young plants by mining just underneath the outside surface4 ,the habits of this creature are such that there is little chance of applying remedies for its destruction4 ,cultural and preventive measures seem to be the most practical1 and are suggested4 ,the parent insect is a small fly1 which deposits its eggs for the first brood early in ,june1 and no doubt much can be done toward keeping the pest under control by not allowing small shoots to grow during the cutting season4 ,professor ,sirrine is of the opinion that where young beds are put out yearly the pest can be kept in check by pulling and burning the old stalks4 ,he points out the fact that the stalk should be pulled in the fall rather than in the spring1 as it is difficult to pull them early in the season1 and in many cases the dormant stage of the insect is left in the ground4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,condensed from an official report by ,j4 ,h4 ,chittenden of the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture4 ,,xv ,,fungus ,,diseases ,asparagus is subject to the attacks of a number of fungi1 the most widespread and destructive being the rust1 the cause of which is a fungus described by ,de ,candolle as ,puccinia asparagi in the year #ahje4 ,from this it is seen that the rust upon the asparagus has been known to scientists for nearly a hundred years1 and it is but reasonable to suppose that more or less of this fungus has existed beyond the history of man4 ,the first mention of asparagus rust in the ,united ,states was by ,dr4 ,harkness1 who claimed to have observed it on the ,pacific ,coast in #ahhj1 although it is doubtful whether the genuine asparagus rust was ever found there4 ,the first mention of it in the ,eastern ,states was in the fall of #ahif1 and since then its range has been widening each year4 ,dr4 ,byron ,d4 ,halsted1 of the ,new ,jersey ,experiment ,station1 was the first to call attention to it1 and made it the subject of careful study4 ,the results and conclusions derived from his experiments were published in a special bulletin1 and from this the greater part of the following has been condensed4 ,,recognition ,,of ,,the ,,rust ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #df--;,,asparagus ,,stems ,,affected ,,with ,,rust ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dg--,,portion ,,of ,,rusted ,,asparagus ,,stems ,when an asparagus field is badly infested with the rust the general appearance is that of an unusually early maturing of the plants 7,fig4 #df74 ,instead of the healthy green color there is a brown hue1 as if insects had sapped the plants or frost destroyed their vitality4 ,rusted plants1 when viewed closely1 are found to have the skin of the stems lifted1 as if blistered1 and within the ruptures of the epidermis the color is brown1 as shown in ,fig4 #dg4 ,the brown color is due to multitudes of spores borne upon the tips of fine threads of the fungus1 which aggregate at certain points and cause the spots4 ,the threads from which the spores are produced are exceedingly small and grow through the substance of the asparagus stem1 taking up nourishment and causing an enfeebled condition of the victim1 which results in loss of the green color and the final rustiness of the plant1 due to the multitude of spores formed upon the surface4 ,these spores are carried by the wind to other plants1 where new disease spots are produced2 but as the autumn advances a final form of spore appears in the ruptures that is quite different in shape and color from the first ones produced through the summer4 ,the spores of late autumn1 from their dark color1 give an almost black appearance to the spots4 ,there is another form which the rust fungus assumes not usually seen in the asparagus field1 but may be found in early spring upon plants that are not subjected to cutting4 ,this is the cluster-cup stage1 so named because the fungus produces minute cups from the asparagus stem1 and in small groups of a dozen to fifty1 making usually an oval spot easily seen with the naked eye4 ,this stage of the fungus comes first in the order of time in the series1 and is met with upon volunteer plants that may grow along the roadside or fence row1 or in a field where all the old asparagus plants have not been destroyed4 ,,methods ,,of ,,treating ,,the ,,rust ,all the cultivated varieties of asparagus are readily affected by the rust1 although it has been found that some varieties1 notably ,palmetto1 are less susceptible to its attacks than others4 ,the most effectual means of controlling the disease are spraying1 burning of the brush1 cultivation1 and irrigation4 ,spraying4--,dr4 ,halsted1 in his first experiments1 used soda-bordeaux1 hydrate-bordeaux1 and potash-bordeaux4 ,the spraying began ,june #b;d1 and ten sprayings were applied during the season4 ,the applications were made with a knapsack pump1 and therefore were far more expensive than they would have been if the sprayings were made with horse-power4 ,with the fungicide costing #e4jj per acre1 and a machine that would spray two or more rows at a time1 it would be possible to reduce the cost to #aj4jj per acre1 or even less4 ,in effectiveness the soda-bordeaux stood first4 ,between the other fungicides there was but little difference4 ,the best results showed a reduction of rust of about one-quarter1 which is not as satisfactory a result as had been expected4 ,in the spraying work conducted by ,professors ,g4 ,e4 ,stone and ,r4 ,e4 ,smith1 at the ,massachusetts ,experiment ,station1 the results were more encouraging4 ,the solutions used were potassium sulfide1 saccharate of lime1 and bordeaux mixture4 ,the spraying was done with a knapsack sprayer1 provided with a ,vermorel nozzle1 and after the first application it became evident that the practice was of little importance on account of the difficulty in making the solution stick to the plant4 ,for successful spraying of asparagus a finer nozzle is required than any that is now in the market4 ,in some other experiments carried out on a small scale the asparagus plants were practically covered with solutions1 when they were put on with an ordinary cylinder atomizer1 and the lime solutions showed excellent sticking qualities2 but with the ordinary coarse nozzle the solutions would run off of the glossy epidermal covering of the plant very readily4 ,should the spraying of asparagus ever become a necessity1 then some apparatus which can be strapped to a horse's back should be used4 ,the narrow space between the rows forbids the use of the ordinary mounted appliances1 and if spraying is to be carried on upon a large scale1 it would be better to have the spraying mixture carried in some manner on the horse's back4 ,in this way it would be possible to carry some thirty or forty gallons of mixture through the narrow rows4 ,burning the affected tops4--,there can be no doubt that by the burning of the infested brush1 after the cutting season1 innumerable rust spores are destroyed4 ,but if this is done before the stalks are entirely dead new ones will spring up at once1 and in a few days will be as badly affected as the first4 ,the burning of the tops in the summer has1 moreover1 a decidedly injurious effect upon the roots1 seriously weakening their vitality1 and making the growth of the following year still more susceptible to the infection4 ,in the autumn1 however1 after the stalks are dead and dry1 this damage does not prevail1 and the spores upon old brush can be destroyed by burning the asparagus stems either as they stand in the field or by cutting and throwing the brush into piles4 ,by the latter method many of the smaller branches will be broken off and scattered upon the ground1 giving a suitable place for the spores to remain over the winter4 ,for the same reason it is an advantage to burn the brush in autumn instead of the spring1 and thus prevent the large loss of spores that would obtain4 ,in other words1 burn the plants as soon as they become brown and lifeless1 for any delay means the breaking up of the brittle1 rusty plants1 and a heavy sowing of the spores upon the ground4 ,if the fire could go over the whole field of standing brush1 that would be the most effective destruction4 ,at best1 with these precautions1 many of the spores will get scattered upon the soil1 and it would be well to sprinkle a thin coat of lime upon the ground and leave it there during the winter4 ,if this could be followed by a turning under of the surface soil in the spring1 it would bury the spores that might still be living1 so that they would be out of reach4 ,cultivation and irrigation4--,it has been observed that the injury to asparagus plants1 as a result of rust1 has been confined to dry soils1 although there are places where beds in close proximity showed remarkable differences as to infection2 and that robust and vigorous plants1 even where cultivated on apparently dry soil1 are capable of resisting the summer or injurious stage of the rust4 ,in view of all the experiments so far made1 and the experiences of practical asparagus growers1 ,stone and ,smith conclude that3 ,the best means of controlling the rust is by thorough cultivation in order to secure vigorous plants1 and in seasons of extreme dryness plants growing on very dry soil with little water-retaining properties should1 if possible1 receive irrigation4 ,from a knowledge of the occurrences of the rust in ,europe1 and from observations made in ,massachusetts1 they are led to believe that the outbreak of the asparagus rust is of a sporadic nature1 and is not likely to cause much harm in the future1 provided attention is given to the production of vigorous plants4 ,,asparagus ,,leopard ,,spot ,attention was called to this new disease by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,johnson1 in ,bulletin ,no4 #ej1 ,maryland ,experiment ,station1 ,september1 #ahig4 ,it was observed in a limited area in the asparagus growing section on the eastern shore of ,maryland4 ,the disease belongs to the group of anthracnoses1 and is regarded by ,dr4 ,b4 ,d4 ,halsted as a new species4 ,in some places growers have mistaken it for the work of asparagus beetles4 ,in general appearance it is very striking1 the characteristic spots resembling the coat of the leopard4 ,it has1 therefore1 been called asparagus leopard spot1 to distinguish it readily from rust4 ,the disease has been found only in a comparatively small area1 but1 no doubt will be found in other places later4 ,asparagus growers should1 therefore1 be on their guard and watch it4 ,the remedies thus far successfully used are the same as those for rust4 ,,xvi ,,asparagus ,,culture ,,in ,,different ,,localities ,,asparagus ,,in ,,new ,,england ,asparagus was grown in ,concord1 ,mass41 in a limited way as early as #ahbe4 ,mr4 ,edmund ,hosmer used to carry it to market in season on his milk wagon4 ,timothy ,prescott and ,f4 ,r4 ,gourgas grew garden patches before #ahdj4 ,to ,john ,b4 ,moore belongs the credit of growing and improving asparagus in this section of the ,state4 ,mr4 ,moore selected the most promising shoots1 and by a judicious system of culture succeeded in placing on the market a valuable variety in the shape of ,moore's ,cross-bred4 ,most of the giant asparagus grown in ,concord to-day could be traced to the plants produced by his skill4 ,a sample bunch of twelve stalks1 twelve inches long1 from ,moore's ,cross-bred plants weighed four pounds eight ounces4 ,in #ahgb the first bed of asparagus of any size was set out by ,mr4 ,george ,d4 ,hubbard1 who was laughed at by his neighbor farmers1 who saw only ruin for the young man4 ,the next year ,mr4 ,hubbard set out more1 so that for twenty years he was probably the largest grower in ,massachusetts4 ,most of the leading varieties are grown in ,concord1 but the farmers are looking for a rust-proof variety and hope to find one4 ,the ,palmetto has not rusted as badly as other kinds1 but has not been grown so extensively4 ,one-year-old roots should be set by all means1 as they start sooner1 grow more vigorously1 and in the end pay better4 ,the roots should be carefully selected from vigorous stock4 ,a very large part of ,concord asparagus is planted on sandy soil--i4e41 good1 rich1 mellow corn land4 ,this kind of land needs more manure1 but then the crop is more satisfactory and the labor bill is not so high4 ,the land previous to setting to asparagus should be well tilled and manured4 ,land for asparagus beds should be plowed late in the fall1 and if stable manure can be afforded should be applied liberally4 ,in the spring plow again early and harrow well4 ,the roots should be planted in ,april as soon as the ground can be worked4 ,after determining the direction of the rows a number of laths1 four feet long1 are placed in line where the first row is to be4 ,it is very important to get the rows straight and an even distance apart4 ,a good strong pair of horses and a large plow are used1 a board being so placed above the mold-board of the plow that the loose soil will not fall back into the furrow4 ,drive the horses so that the middle of the evener will just come to the lath1 then change the lath over its own length1 if the rows are to be four feet apart1 and that will mark the next row4 ,change each lath as you come to it1 and when your first furrow is completed your second row will be all marked out4 ,return in the first row to make it deeper and also to straighten any bends4 ,shovel out the ends for a few feet and you will have a proper furrow to set asparagus roots in4 ,proceed with the other rows in the same manner1 and you will have a good-looking plantation4 ,the larger growers in ,concord set the plants two feet apart in the row and have the rows four feet apart4 ,the plants are set in the bottom of the furrow1 covered two inches1 and should level up by fall so that the crowns will be six or seven inches below the surface4 ,the furrows may be made very deep1 so that manure can be placed in the bottom1 or fertilizer may be strewn before the plants are set or after4 ,the roots should be spread out carefully in the bottom of the furrow1 care being taken to have them in line4 ,the bed should be cultivated with a fine-tooth cultivator or weeder often enough to prevent the growth of weeds4 ,keep the bed clean and do not have the trenches filled in before the last of ,september4 ,the tops should not be cut in the fall of the first year1 as the snow will be held by them1 and thereby protect the roots to some extent4 ,some growers spread coarse manure on their beds in the fall to prevent the soil from being blown away and also to prevent winter killing1 which1 however1 is rare4 ,in the second year the bed may be plowed or wheel-harrowed in the spring as early as possible4 ,concord growers use animal manure or chemical fertilizers1 as the case may be or as the bed may require4 ,the bed should be smooth harrowed just before the new shoots appear1 and good clean cultivation given during the season4 ,after harrowing or plowing in the third year1 sow your chemicals or fertilizer broadcast and harrow in4 ,a good formula for asparagus is3 ,nitrate of soda1 #cjj to #djj pounds2 muriate of potash1 #djj pounds2 and fine ground bone1 #fjj pounds per acre4 ,the shoots will appear about ,may #eth1 and should be cut for about two weeks2 then let them grow up and cultivate well during the season4 ,home-mixing of fertilizer is practiced by some of the growers in this vicinity1 as it is cheaper and better4 ,any intelligent farmer can1 with a little study1 purchase and mix the raw materials to advantage4 ,not so much fertilizer is used as formerly by our growers1 who are beginning to think that we use more plant food than the crop needs1 thus throwing away many dollars each year4 ,the cost of an acre of asparagus when properly planted and manured is about two hundred dollars1 varying with the cost of help1 manure1 etc4 ,the average product of asparagus beds is about two hundred and eighty-eight dozen bunches per acre--probably less since the rust appeared in #ahig4 ,asparagus is grown largely on ,cape ,cod4 ,there the roots are planted in rows six feet apart and four or five feet in the row4 ,seaweed is used largely in connection with fertilizer and manure4 ,various grains1 oats1 rye1 etc41 are sometimes sown to prevent the soil being blown away4 ,the method of culture is much the same as elsewhere4 ,at ,concord the asparagus season opens usually about ,may #eth4 ,the shoots are cut two or three inches under ground and should be about eight inches in length4 ,these are laid in handfuls on the ground by the cutter1 each one cutting two rows4 ,the product of four rows is laid in one row1 making what is called a basket row4 ,these basket rows are gathered in baskets1 boxes1 or wheelbarrows1 and taken to the packing-shed4 ,the asparagus is placed on a table and packed in racks of uniform size1 passed to the person who ties1 and then to be butted off4 ,the bunches are then washed and set up in troughs ready for market4 ,water is added in season to swell the bunch tight and it is then packed in bushel boxes for market1 going in by teams each night4 ,asparagus was free from pests until #ahhi1 when the asparagus beetle made its unwelcome appearance4 ,methods of fighting the beetle were unknown to growers generally at that time1 but necessity soon taught us4 ,chickens and hens are used with good results1 also ,paris green dry was applied with an air-gun when the dew was on the foliage4 ,cutworms sometimes do the asparagus crop severe damage1 but chickens and hens are a sure remedy--in fact1 hens are a decided benefit in an asparagus field1 keeping down many weeds4 ,after learning to control the asparagus beetle we were visited by the rust1 which has proved a stubborn foe and absorbs the sap which ought to go to the growing plant4 ,appearing in ,july1 #ahig1 the rust seriously damaged many beds in eastern ,massachusetts4 ,many remedies have been suggested1 but so far none of them have proved perfectly satisfactory4 ,growers have been advised to cut the infected tops as soon as the rust appears1 but such a practice is all wrong1 however good in theory4 ,do not cut the tops until the sap has left the stalks4 ,this is the advice of a large number of asparagus growers and scientific men who are engaged in experimental work4 ,,charles ,w4 ,,prescott4 ,middlesex ,county1 ,mass4 ,,asparagus ,,on ,,long ,,island ,the cultivation of asparagus on ,long ,island does not differ materially1 in most respects1 from that practiced in other localities1 other than in its extent4 ,but there is probably more to be learned about its cultivation there than in any other section of the country1 from the fact of its being grown under such changed conditions of soil4 ,here it can be shown that the character of soil is not1 of itself1 of great importance1 and that on soil usually considered worthless--on land that can be bought1 uncleared1 at from five to ten dollars per acre--asparagus can be made as profitable a crop as on land considered cheap at one hundred dollars per acre4 ,nearly every farm1 the northern boundary of which is the ,long ,island ,sound1 has from two to twenty acres of soil composed very largely of fine drift sand1 in all respects like quick-sand in character4 ,this1 when mixed with light loam1 as is frequently the case1 is the most favorable land for asparagus1 and in such it is largely grown1 being unsuited to potatoes or cereals1 and where grasses make but a feeble struggle for existence4 ,within five minutes' walk to the south the soil is from a lively to a quite heavy loam1 in which corn1 potatoes1 cabbage1 cauliflower1 and1 in fact1 all other crops revel4 ,in this soil the asparagus also finds a congenial home1 but no better than in the sand1 in which but little else can be grown2 neither can it be grown here more profitably4 ,the expense for fertilizers is a little more on the sandy soil1 but the cost in labor on the heavy soil will quite equal the cost of extra fertilizer required on the light4 ,whether away from a saline atmosphere a light soil would be as favorable as a heavy one for the asparagus is a question that practical experiment only can settle4 ,but it is an important one1 as it is not generally supposed that it is possible to grow asparagus1 at a profit1 on such soils as are now being devoted to this crop on ,long ,island4 ,that which has been called the barren wastes1 the dwarf-pine and scrub-oak lands of ,suffolk ,county1 can be made most profitable farming lands may be a surprise to many1 but that such is the case does not admit of a doubt4 ,as evidence of this1 let us state what is being done along these lines4 ,messrs4 ,hudson ,sons1 leading canners of asparagus1 have bought a farm of #ebe acres of as poor land as it is possible to find on ,long ,island1 which they are to devote exclusively to this crop4 ,they have already more than fifty acres planted1 and are getting the whole in readiness as rapidly as possible4 ,this is no experiment1 but simply doing on a large scale what has profitably been done on a small one4 ,on similar soils a low estimate of net profit is #ajj per acre1 and there are many instances where double this profit is made4 ,the price paid last season by the canners was #ad per #ajj bunches for first quality1 and #f per #ajj for culls1 or tips1 as they are usually called4 ,with good cultivation1 which means a liberal supply of plant food--and there is no crop that requires more--and the surface kept clean1 free from weeds1 and frequently cultivated1 so that the surface is at all times loose and fine to prevent evaporation1 the average yield is #b1ejj bunches per acre4 ,if we estimate the tips at #be per cent4 of the crop1 the gross receipts will amount to #bjj per acre4 ,after a given acreage is ready for cutting1 which is the third year after planting1 the annual cost of cultivation is not very much1 if any1 more than that of a crop of potatoes4 ,it is a question whether the actual cost of growing and marketing an acre of asparagus is not less than that of an acre of potatoes4 ,some growers assert it is three times as much work to take care of a given acreage of asparagus as of potatoes2 admitting it1 the relative cost is stated above4 ,c4 ,l4 ,,allen4 ,nassau ,county1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,asparagus ,,in ,,new ,,jersey ,an important point in asparagus culture is to remove the top growth in the fall of the year4 ,for this purpose ,i use a mowing-machine1 then rake up the brush and burn it on the bed4 ,after this ,i top-dress heavy with manure1 leaving it lie on the land until spring4 ,just as soon as the ground is fit to work at all ,i put on a disk-harrow1 and cut it about four times each way until it is thoroughly pulverized4 ,then with a smoothing-harrow ,i level it1 and repeat the smoothing-harrow operation about once a week to keep down all weeds coming through4 ,then we let it go as long as we can1 possibly two weeks1 and at the appearance of weeds we take an ordinary sweet-potato ridger having a plow on either side and run it astride the row1 covering everything in the row4 ,doing this on ,saturday afternoon holds the asparagus back over the following day4 ,then we take the middle out with a one-horse cultivator4 ,this is done probably three times during the cutting season1 which is eight weeks4 ,with the help of one of these weeders1 which we use at least once a week1 we keep the bed quite clean of all weeds1 and this ,i consider very essential4 ,the cultivation should continue after cutting until the top growth becomes so large as to protect the ground1 and then there will be but little trouble late in the season about weeds4 ,it doesn't pay to grow them anywhere1 and especially not in asparagus beds4 ,in planting1 the ground should be well prepared and furrowed out eight inches in depth1 four and one-half feet apart1 and the plants two and one-half feet in the row1 with a little fine manure in bottom of row2 put about two inches of soil on the plants to cover4 ,then as the sprouts come up1 keep on filling the furrows by cultivation4 ,i have been using some commercial manures the past two years1 applying at the rate of one ton to the acre about the rows in the spring2 then nearly a ton of salt to the acre applied at any time4 ,it helps keep weeds down and gives the asparagus a good flavor4 ,above all1 do not forget to apply the fertilizer1 and ,plenty1 with a big ,p1 of it--either stable manure or commercial fertilizers4 ,probably there will be less weeds by using the latter1 but there needs to be a great deal of the former in the beginning for several years1 to give the bed a good body of rich earth1 from which the plants feed4 ,it appears to me this is the secret of success4 ,much depends upon how asparagus is put up for the market1 making it look attractive1 in nice1 clean1 new crates and neatly prepared bunches1 and the stalks must be large1 tender1 and of good flavor4 ,grass from a strong bed grown in twenty-four hours is much more tender and better in every way than grass grown in forty-eight hours from a poor bed4 ,we are compelled to cut every twenty-four hours1 or the asparagus would waste1 and the gathering is accomplished in about three and one-half hours each day1 early in the morning4 ,,joel ,,borton4 ,salem ,county1 ,n4 ,j4 ,,asparagus ,,in ,,the ,,south ,there is no crop grown by the ,southern trucker that has paid better than asparagus year after year4 ,with many of the other truck crops sent ,north the growers have to contend with a host of planters who rush in at times to plant certain crops like early potatoes1 peas1 and beans1 and whose inferior crops often glut the market and make the season unprofitable all around4 ,these men drop out after a season that their particular venture did not pay1 and the regular truckers1 being well aware that they would do so1 always redouble their efforts the year after a bad season with any particular crop1 knowing from experience that then it would be certain to be profitable4 ,but the asparagus crop is one into which the temporary growers can not jump in and out of1 for the crop requires special preparation of the soil and patient waiting and culture pending the time for reaping a harvest1 and the men who are always ready to jump into the annual crops always wish to realize at once1 and do not generally have the capital to put into a crop that requires several years before realizing4 ,hence the asparagus crop has been left to the regular market gardeners1 and has been uniformly profitable when well managed4 ,as regards soil for asparagus in the ,south1 it should be deep1 light1 warm1 and well drained1 either naturally or artificially4 ,the level sandy soils that abound in all the ,south ,atlantic ,coast region1 having a compact subsoil of reddish clay under it at a moderate depth1 makes the ideal soil for the early asparagus4 ,in preparing such a soil for the crop1 it is well to be thorough in the matter1 for the crop is to remain there indefinitely1 and if success is to be expected the previous preparation should be of the most thorough character4 ,hence1 as the soils best adapted to the growth of the plant are commonly deficient in vegetable matter1 which desirable characteristic can only be found in abundance on the lands too low and moist for the asparagus crop1 some preparatory culture should be used that will tend to increase the amount of organic decay in the soil4 ,for this purpose there is nothing better than the ,southern field or cow pea4 ,the land should be prepared by giving it a heavy dressing of acid phosphate and potash2 and putting it in peas sown broadcast at the rate of a bushel or more per acre4 ,with a heavy dressing of the mineral fertilizers the pea crop will be heavy1 and should be allowed to fully ripen and decay on the land1 to be plowed under1 and the process repeated the following year4 ,in the mean time the seed should be sown for the growth of the roots for setting the land4 ,two crops of cow-peas allowed to die on the land and turned under will give a store of vegetable matter that would be hard to get in any other manner4 ,while heavy manuring with stable manures is very desirable where the material can be had at a reasonable cost1 the larger part1 and1 in fact1 nearly all of the ,southern asparagus1 must be grown by the aid of chemical fertilizers1 and the storing up of humus in the land from the decaying peas is an important factor in the placing of the soil in a condition to render the chemical fertilizers of more use1 since the moisture-retaining nature of the organic matter plays an important part in the solution of matters in the soil4 ,aside from this1 there will be a large increase in the nitrogen contents of the soil through the nitrification of this organic matter4 ,the second crop of peas should be plowed under in late fall when perfectly ripe and dead1 so that the land can be gotten into condition for planting in early spring4 ,the land should be thoroughly plowed1 and if the clay subsoil comes near the surface it should be loosened with the subsoil plow4 ,furrows are then run out four and a half to five feet apart1 going twice in the furrow1 and then cleaning out with shovels till there is a trench a foot deep4 ,in the bottom of this trench place a good coat of black earth from the forest1 or1 if well-rotted manure can be had1 use that of course4 ,set the plants twenty inches apart in the furrow1 and by means of hand-rakes pull in enough earth to barely cover the crowns4 ,as growth begins1 the soil is to be gradually worked in around the advancing shoots till the soil is level4 ,now give a dressing of #a1jjj pounds per acre1 alongside the rows1 of a mixture of #ijj pounds of acid phosphate1 #ejj pounds of fish scrap1 #bjj pounds of nitrate of soda1 and #djj pounds of muriate of potash1 and keep the plants cultivated shallowly and flat with an ordinary cultivator till the tops are mature4 ,an application of salt may be useful if applied in the fall in making some matters in the soil available1 but salt in itself is of no use whatever to the plants4 ,we would never apply salt in the spring1 as it has a tendency to lessen nitrification and to retard the earliness of the shoots4 ,the annual dressing of the fertilizer named should now be increased to a ton per acre1 and it should be applied not later than ,february #ast in each year4 ,after the tops have been cut in the fall it is a good plan to plow furrows from each side over the rows and to plow out the middles1 for the shoots will always start earlier in an elevated ridge1 which warms up earlier in the spring4 ,the second year after planting cutting may begin1 and the shoots must be cut as fast as they show1 care being taken to cut down near the crown of the roots1 but not to injure the other shoots that may be starting4 ,after cutting is over--and the length of time the bed should be cut is of little importance in the ,south1 for the price at the point where it is shipped will always tell you when to stop--the soil should be again worked down flat1 and if the growth has not been as satisfactory as could be wished1 a dressing of #ajj pounds per acre of nitrate of soda at this time will usually pay very well4 ,asparagus should always be bunched in a machine made for that purpose4 ,the bunches are packed in crates just deep enough to hold the bunches set upright on a bed of moss1 and a cover of the same damp moss should be placed on top4 ,where there is a demand for green asparagus the planting should be done more shallowly in a simple furrow1 and the entire culture should be flat and shallow4 ,the shoots are cut at the surface of the ground after they have attained the proper length4 ,one thing is to be observed in either method1 and this is that during the cutting season everything long enough must be cut daily1 and that the little shoots be not allowed to run up and branch out4 ,cull the shoots after they are all out and bunch accordingly4 ,green shoots should be bunched by themselves and not mixed with the blanched ones4 ,none but new1 light crates should be used1 for a clean and neat package will always favor its contents in the selling4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,massey4 ,north ,carolina ,agricultural ,experiment ,station4 ,,asparagus ,,culture ,,in ,,california ,the growing of asparagus for market in ,california is proving to be one of the most successful of its minor industries4 ,there is a large area in the ,state which is exactly suited to the production of this vegetable4 ,this is the region of sedimentary deposits1 washed by waters that are to some extent brackish1 or naturally saline4 ,commercial asparagus farming is limited to the reclaimed lands around the bay of ,san ,francisco1 the marshy deltas of the ,san ,joaquin and ,sacramento rivers1 and the so-called peat lands of ,orange and ,san ,luis ,obispo counties4 ,small beds1 however1 for local consumption are to be found in ,california as generally and frequently as they are in other ,states4 ,there is a fascination about asparagus culture that is founded on legitimate financial returns4 ,it is practically a sure thing when once established1 and the conditions of climate and soil are such that the work attendant on production is a minimum in proportion to the return4 ,no diseases of the plant have yet shown themselves in ,california1 and it is seldom that the weather is unsteady enough to be a factor in limiting production4 ,the deterring feature is the fact that it is not till the third year that a return can be expected on the investment4 ,but as other crops1 such as potatoes and beans1 can be grown between the rows in the interim1 the time of waiting is not so entirely an unproductive one as might at first be supposed4 ,the methods of preparing1 planting1 and working are practically the same in all sections of ,california4 ,the proposed beds are plowed as deeply as possible and thoroughly fertilized4 ,all of the soils appropriate for commercial asparagus farming are so light that deep cultivation is a comparatively easy matter4 ,furrows for planting are then run and made double depth4 ,some growers think it worth while to distribute fertilizer along these furrows and then turn for a third time1 so as to enrich the ground immediately below the roots to be set out4 ,these furrows are run from four to six feet apart1 the latter being considered the better usage4 ,in them one-year-old plants are then set by hand at distances varying from eighteen inches to three feet4 ,the former distance is preferred by the ,italian growers on ,bay ,farm ,island in ,san ,francisco ,bay1 but the ,southern growers and those along the ,sacramento ,river lean to the greater distance4 ,the only difference seems to be whether there will be sufficient nutriment in the soil to force the plant into giving as large and tender shoots as where each plant is allowed a larger area4 ,the plants are set with the crowns about four inches below the surface and the roots are carefully spread out before covering4 ,planting is done any time from ,november to ,april1 but the middle of ,february is perhaps the most common time4 ,the culture for the first year consists in keeping the soil loose and free from weeds4 ,ordinarily other crops are grown between the rows1 and their cultivation serves to keep the ground in proper condition4 ,the asparagus is allowed to come up1 feather1 and seed without interference1 no cutting being done the first year4 ,care1 however1 is taken to cut off the tops close to the ground in the fall before the seed begins to drop--the volunteer asparagus being the worst enemy in culture with which the grower has to deal4 ,about the beginning of the rainy season a heavy coating of manure is placed over the beds and left to be leeched in by the rains4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dh--,,view ,,of ,,asparagus ,,field ,,on ,,bouldin ,,island1 ,,california ,the second year some growers cut more or less for market1 but the bed is then longer in coming to its full strength and will not give so large a product the following years4 ,there is a variation in the spring working1 according to the nature of the land4 ,where the soil has a tendency to be cold1 the first plowing is away from the rows1 so as to let the sun more quickly down to the starting plants4 ,where the soil is light1 or the season forward1 this plowing is omitted4 ,the latter plowings are toward the rows1 the effort being by ridging to give a long blanched surface to the shoots4 ,for the canneries where nothing but the white product is put up1 the shoots are cut the instant they show their tips above the surface4 ,the local market shows a preference for the greener shoot1 and so before cutting it is allowed to stretch itself up into the light4 ,the third year regular cutting begins1 and from that time forward the beds increase in the quantity and quality of the product for the next fifteen years4 ,the methods of marketing are somewhat different from those practiced in the ,east4 ,little or none of the asparagus is bunched4 ,it is packed loose in boxes holding from forty to fifty pounds1 and the loose product is retailed to the consumer by the pound4 ,the first boxes begin to go out by the beginning of ,february1 though small quantities can be seen in market as early as ,january #aeth4 ,the canning contracts run1 as a rule1 from ,march #ast to ,june #aeth4 ,after that the weather is so dry that the yield stops unless the beds are irrigated4 ,in most sections1 however1 irrigation is not necessary up to this time4 ,a notable exception to this is ,bouldin ,island1 in the ,san ,joaquin ,river4 ,this is reclaimed land1 and lies some six or eight feet below the surface of the water4 ,the soil is river silt on a peat stratum thirty feet deep4 ,the top is so fine and friable that it does not1 in spite of the surrounding river1 hold enough moisture to keep the vegetation alive during the hot spring months4 ,a north wind in ,may would lift up the whole surface of the island and carry it away in dust4 ,it is an easy matter1 however1 to let in water through the dikes1 and this is done in sufficient quantities to keep the soil in place4 ,the question of profit in asparagus growing is one that can only be treated in a relative way4 ,the industry is as yet so new1 and instances of phenomenal returns from small holdings are so many1 that it is hard to arrive at what might be called a commercial ratio of gain4 ,it is safe to say1 however1 that with ordinary care there has never been an actual loss with asparagus culture in ,california4 ,a low estimate of profit is probably #ej per acre4 ,the cost of preparation and planting where diking has not been necessary has seldom been more than #ajj per acre4 ,the gross returns taken from recent years' reports vary from #ajj to #bjj per acre1 so that it can readily be seen that the return to the asparagus farmer is very fair4 ,most of the farms in ,california are in rented land4 ,the ,bay ,farm ,island people pay a ground rent of #ej per acre4 ,on ,bouldin ,island the rental is on a basis of #dj per cent4 of the net proceeds4 ,in ,fig4 #dh is presented a view of a fully established asparagus field on ,bouldin ,island4 ,,warren ,,cheney4 ,alameda ,county1 ,cal4 ,,asparagus ,,in ,,france ,asparagus is grown much more abundantly and to a much larger size in ,france than in ,england4 ,the country is half covered with it in some places near ,paris2 farmers grow it abundantly1 cottagers grow it1 and everybody eats it4 ,near ,paris it is chiefly grown for market in the valley of ,montmorency and at ,argenteuil1 and it is cultivated extensively for market in many other places4 ,about ,argenteuil several thousand persons are employed in the culture of asparagus4 ,it is grown to a large extent among the grape-vines as well as alone4 ,the vine under field culture is cut down to near the old stool every year1 and allowed to make a few growths which are tied erect to a stake4 ,one plant is put in each open spot1 and given every chance of forming a large specimen1 and this it generally does4 ,the growing of asparagus among the vines is a very usual mode1 and a vast space is thus covered with it about here4 ,it is also grown in other and special ways4 ,perhaps the simplest and most worthy of adoption is to grow it in shallow trenches4 ,these are usually about four feet apart4 ,the soil generally is a rather stiff sandy loam with calcareous matter in some parts1 but the soil has not all to do with the peculiar excellence of the vegetable4 ,it is the careful attention to the wants of the plant which produce such good results4 ,here1 for instance1 is a young plantation planted in ,march2 and from the little ridges of soil between the trenches have just been dug a crop of small early potatoes4 ,in ,england the asparagus would be left to the free action of the breeze1 but the ,french cultivators never leave a young plant of asparagus to the wind's mercy while they can find a stake of oak about a yard long4 ,when staking these young plants they do not insert the support close to the bottom1 as we are too apt to do in other instances1 but a little distance off1 so as to avoid the possibility of injuring the root2 each stake leans over its plant at an angle of forty-five degrees1 and when the shoots are big enough to touch it1 or to be caught by the wind1 they are tied to the stake4 ,the ground in which this system is pursued being entirely devoted to asparagus1 the stools are placed very much closer together than they are among the vines--say1 at a distance of about a yard apart4 ,the little trenches are about a foot wide and eight inches deep4 ,the best asparagus in ,france is grown at ,argenteuil and by one system mainly4 ,the plants--one-year seedlings 7never older7--are planted in shallow trenches seven or eight inches deep1 the plants a little more than one yard apart and the lines four feet apart4 ,no manure is given at planting2 no trenching or any preparation of the ground1 beyond digging the shallow trench1 takes place4 ,in subsequent years a little manure is given over the roots in autumn2 the soil1 thrown out of the trenches and forming a ridge between them1 is planted with a light crop in spring4 ,in all subsequent years the earth is placed over the crowns in spring and removed in autumn4 ,under this system good results are obtained in various soils1 the only difference being that on cold clay soils the planting is not quite so deep4 ,every winter the growers notice the state of the young roots1 and any spot in which one has perished they mark with a stick1 to replace the plant the following ,march4 ,early every spring they pile up a little heap of fine earth over each crown4 ,when the plantation arrives at its third year they increase the size of the mound1 or1 in other words1 a heap of finely pulverized earth is placed over the stool1 from which some1 but not much1 asparagus is cut the same year1 taking care to leave the weak plants and those which have replaced others untouched for another year4 ,the process of gathering is interesting to the stranger4 ,asparagus knives of various forms are described in both ,french and ,english books1 but one is confidently told by the growers that they are only fitted for amateurs who do not care to soil their fingers4 ,the cultivators here never use a knife1 the work being done with the hands4 ,gatherings are made every second day about the end of ,april1 but in ,may when the growth is more active the stools are gathered from every day4 ,the ,french mode of cultivating asparagus differs from the ,english principally in giving each plant abundant room to develop into a large healthy specimen1 in paying thoughtful attention to the plants at all times1 and in planting in trenches instead of a raised bed4 ,they do not1 as is done in ,england1 go to great expense in forming a mass of the richest soil far beneath the roots1 but rather give it at the surface1 and only when the roots have begun to grow strongly4--,w4 ,,robinson1 in ,parks and ,gardens of ,paris4 ,,index ,,page ,american varieties1 #ah ,barr's ,mammoth1 #ah ,columbian ,mammoth ,white1 #ai ,conover's ,colossal1 #ai ,donald's ,elmira1 #ai ,eclipse1 #ai ,hub1 #bj ,mammoth1 #bj ,moore's ,cross-bred1 #bj ,palmetto1 #bj ,purple top or green top1 #ba ,asparagus culture in different localities1 #ade in ,new ,england1 #ade on ,long ,island1 #aej in ,new ,jersey1 #aeb in the ,south1 #aed in ,california1 #aeh in ,france1 #afd ,asparagus species1 #f plumosus nanus1 #f medeoloides1 #f ,sprengeri1 #f falcatus1 #h laricinus1 #h racemosus1 #aj sarmentosus1 #aj ,broussoneti1 #ac officinalis1 #ac acutifolius1 #af aphyllus1 #af ,botany1 #d ,bunchers1 #ia ,bunching1 #hi ,canning1 #aab ,eastern methods1 #aab ,pacific coast methods1 #aah ,crates1 #if ,cultivation1 #fa the first year1 #fa the second year1 #fd the third and future years1 #ff ,cultural varieties1 #ag ,cutting1 #hc ,manner of1 #hd ,drying1 #abb ,edible species1 #ac ,european varieties1 #ba ,german ,giant1 #bb ,argenteuil1 #bb ,yellow ,burgundy1 #bb ,fall treatment1 #fh ,fertilizers and fertilizing1 #gb ,forcing1 #ajj in greenhouse1 #aja in hotbeds and frames1 #ajc in field1 #ajd in ,cornell asparagus house1 #aaj ,fungus diseases1 #acg ,asparagus rust1 #acg ,asparagus leopard spot1 #add ,growing asparagus without transplanting1 #cb ,harvesting and marketing1 #hc ,historical sketch1 #a ,insects1 #abf ,common asparagus beetle1 #abf ,twelve-spotted asparagus beetle1 #acc ,spotted ladybird1 #acj ,asparagus miner1 #ace ,knives1 #hh ,male and female plants1 #dj ,marketing1 #if ,ornamental species1 #f ,planting1 #di ,distance to plant1 #ej ,depth of1 #ec ,manner of1 #ed ,placing the roots1 #ei ,plants1 ,raising of1 #cj ,pot-grown asparagus plants1 #cf ,preparation of the ground1 #de ,preserving asparagus1 #aab ,raising of plants1 #cj ,renovating old asparagus beds1 #gj ,rubber bands1 #ic ,salt as a fertilizer1 #ha ,seed-growing1 #bf ,selection of plants1 #ch ,soil and its preparation1 #dc ,sorting1 #hi ,sorting and bunching1 #hi ,sterilizing1 #aaf ,subsoiling1 #dg ,transplanting1 ,growing asparagus without1 #cb ,tying material1 #ib ,variety tests1 #bb