ASPARAGUS, ITS CULTURE FOR HOME USE AND FOR MARKET A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE PLANTING, CULTIVATION, HARVESTING, MARKETING, AND PRESERVING OF ASPARAGUS, WITH NOTES ON ITS HISTORY TEXT

famous asparagus region near Concord, Mass., are seen in Fig. 30, and the process of bunching in Fig. 31. [Illustration: FIG. 29--WATT'S ASPARAGUS BUNCHER] _Tying materials._--Twine, Cuban bast, sisal, and various other materials are used for tying, but nothing is better for this purpose than raffia fiber. This is obtained from the raffia or rofia palm, a native of the island of Madagascar. The tree sends enormous branches from near the ground, the pinnate leaves of which produce this fiber. One palm frond will produce eighty to one hundred long, green leaflets from two to five feet in length, and from this the fiber is prepared. "Silk lamba" is also a product of this palm. Raffia fiber is now extensively used for tying up plants, for grafting, and many other purposes, as it is very strong, as soft as silk, and is not affected by moisture or changes of temperature, and it does not break or ravel when folded or knotted. [Illustration: FIG. 30--RACK AND KNIVES USED IN NEW ENGLAND] [Illustration: FIG. 31--AT THE BUNCHING TABLE] _Rubber bands._--The use of rubber bands for fastening asparagus bunches has recently been found to have some advantages not possessed by other materials. Prof. W. J. Green, of the Ohio Experiment Station, writes in Bulletin No. 9: "The work can be done more rapidly and better. The saving in time is fully one-third, which will pay for the increased cost of rubber over string, reckoning wages at seventy-five cents per day. This difference might be less where expert tyers are employed, or very low rates per hundred bunches are paid. In any case, the work can be done in a manner that is much more satisfactory to dealers with rubber than with string. This is owing to the fact that rubber holds the bunches intact, while string allows them to fall apart and to become unsightly. Doubtless, in some cases, dealers would be willing to pay more for bunches fastened with rubber than for those put up in the ordinary manner. Even though no difference is made in price for asparagus put up by the two methods, the bunches fastened with rubber bands sell more readily than those tied with string. "Rubber bands can be bought for two dollars per pound, and the size best adapted to the purpose run about two thousand bands per pound, or sufficient for one thousand bunches. This makes rubber bands cost about two cents per dozen bunches more than string, if the saving in labor is not taken into consideration. "The saving in the item of labor depends, of course, upon the kind of labor employed. In determining the relative value of the two methods not only must cost of labor be taken into consideration, but the character of the market as well. When competition is not strong careful bunching is not a matter of great importance, but in many markets it is essential that the bunches be put up in such a manner that they will not fall apart. In such cases rubber bands will more than pay for their extra cost, by insuring more ready sales, if not by increasing the price. "The method employed in bunching with rubber bands is to slip a band over an ordinary teacup--one with straight sides and without a handle; fill the cup with asparagus shoots, the heads downward, and then slip the band from the cup to the bunch. This makes a bunch of about the right size, and gives the upper end a nicely rounded appearance. All that remains to be done is to slip on another band and to square the butts with a sharp knife. Possibly a metallic cup would answer better, being thinner, but a teacup is not objectionable in this particular. If smaller bunches are desired than the smallest cup that can be found, it is not necessary to fill the cup." MARKETING During the entire process of cutting, sorting, bunching, and packing great care must be exercised not to bruise or in any way injure the heads, as the gummy juice of these soon heats and spoils the whole. They should also be kept cool and dry, else the moisture causes decay. Of course if, when cutting, the ground is wet, some of the soil will adhere to the lower ends of the stalks; this has to be rinsed off in clean water, but not by immersing the entire stalk. If the bunches are to be kept over night, before packing, the butts should be dipped in clean water and stood on end on a cold cellar bottom, or upon grass or hay that has been thoroughly wet; but the crowns, or the green portions of the sprouts, should never be sprinkled or wet. It is a common practice to set the bunches in shallow pans containing water, but this is apt to give a bitter taste to the stalks. [Illustration: FIG. 32--BOX OF GIANT ASPARAGUS READY FOR SHIPMENT] [Illustration: FIG. 33--SOUTHERN ASPARAGUS CRATE, CONTAINING 24 BUNCHES OF GREEN ASPARAGUS] [Illustration: FIG. 34--END PIECE OF SOUTHERN CRATE] _Crates._--There is no standard shape or size of crates for shipping asparagus, and in the wholesale markets of New York City a great variety of styles is found. Of late ordinary twenty-four or thirty-two quart berry crates have come into favor with near by growers, as they are cheap, light, and easily handled. In these the bunches are laid down flat, in tiers, alternating the butt ends so that when the crates are full the top row is level with the cover. Some growers, of very fine asparagus even, use solid wooden boxes. Fig. 32 shows such a box containing three dozen bunches. 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 boxes. Fig. 33 shows a crate containing two dozen bunches of green asparagus ready for shipment, with the exception of the slats to be nailed on the side. Fig. 34 shows the shape of the end pieces. These crates are made of various sizes, according to the length of the bunches. The crate here illustrated was 24 inches long, 12 inches high, 19 inches wide at the bottom, and 14-1/2 inches at the top, inside measurement. The end boards were 7/8 of an inch thick, and the slats about half an inch. In shipping to a distant market some thoroughly wet grass, or sphagnum moss, should be put in the bottom of the crate, the bunches stood on ends, butt down, and pressed so tightly together that they can not move or shift in handling. The crate should have a tight bottom and ends. The sides may be tight half way up, and the rest of the sides and the top should be slatted. This keeps the butts moist and the tops dry and cool. XII FORCING The forcing of asparagus in various methods has been practiced for centuries, and is rapidly developing into an important industry. The forcing may be done in any place where a temperature of 50° to 60° can be secured, in the greenhouse, hotbed, pit, cellar, or in the garden and field. Whichever plan is pursued, the management of the plants to be forced is the same. The roots should not be less than three years old, and, if obtainable, four or five-year-old plants are to be preferred. These may be dug up from ordinary out-of-door plantations, or, if the forcing is to be done on a large scale and as a permanent industry, the plants have to be grown from seed for this special purpose. To keep up a continuous succession new sowings have to be made every year. The sowing of the seed and the management of the plants during the first year is the same as described in Chapter V. The following year, as early as the season permits, the one-year-old seedlings are planted out in rows, to develop as much strength as possible. As the plants are to remain only two years in the nursery bed, they may be placed closer than in a permanent plantation. A distance of two and one-half feet between the rows and one foot in the rows is, however, the narrowest limit, and, where enough ground is available, three by one and one-half or two feet would be still better. By purchasing one-year-old plants a year's time may be gained, but otherwise there are decided advantages in raising one's own plants. During the following two seasons the ground has to be kept in the best possible tilth, and at the end of the third season from seed the roots may be dug just before the ground is likely to freeze. In lifting the roots it is important not to expose them to the drying influence of the sun and air more than is unavoidable. It is also important to preserve the entire clump intact with as much soil adhering to the roots and crown as possible. They are then placed in a shed, pit, or cool cellar, and covered with sand or soil to prevent their drying out. Moderate freezing does not injure the roots, and some growers think that it even adds to their forcing value. FORCING IN THE GREENHOUSE With florists the forcing of asparagus has this important advantage: that the income obtained from it is nearly all gain, as the space under the benches, which may thus be utilized, is of but little use for other purposes. If the floor under the benches is soil this is dug out so as to form a pit about a foot deep, or at least a few inches deeper than the clumps are high. Three or four inches of good rich soil is scattered over the bottom, and upon this the clumps are placed close together. Dry, mellow soil is then scattered between and over the clumps, so that the crowns are covered one or two inches, and given a thorough watering. If blanched shoots are desired, the crowns will have to be covered with six or eight inches of soil. The same object may be obtained by shutting off the light, which can easily be accomplished under greenhouse benches. Where it is not practicable to make excavations under the benches, a pit may be constructed by placing boards against the posts and filling in the space thus furnished. To secure a succession, new roots from the reserve stock have to be planted every three or four weeks. For the first week or ten days after placing the roots in the forcing-pit they should be kept rather cool, so as to give them a chance to become established. A temperature of 45° to 50° is best, at first. Afterward it should be raised to 55° to 60°, and during the day it may rise as high as 80° to 85°. But, as a rule, very high temperatures induce a spindling growth. During the entire forcing process asparagus requires a large amount of water, but unless it has the chill taken off, and ample means for drainage are provided, it may do far more harm than good. The interval between the time of planting and the first cutting varies greatly, according to the temperature and other conditions. The following are actual dates of asparagus forcing under benches at Cornell University: Plants taken from an old patch November 29th and set under benches three days later. December 4th, shoots just pushing through. December 8th, first shoots cut, averaging nine inches long. December 14th, first good cutting, shoots running from six to fifteen inches long. December 18th, second good cutting. December 26th, a good cutting, some of the shoots having remained too long and become woody; some of these shoots were two feet long. January 10th, a heavy cutting. January 19th, cut about half as many shoots as on the 10th. January 30th, cut about as much as on the 19th, but shoots growing smaller. February 10th, small cutting of weak shoots. Beyond this time there were no shoots worth cutting. FORCING IN HOTBEDS AND FRAMES The forcing of asparagus in hotbeds does not differ materially from that in the greenhouse, except in the supply of heat. "A most suitable place for forcing asparagus," writes William Scott, in _Garden and Forest_, "is a frame about four feet deep with one-fourth inch hot-water pipe running around it. About two and one-half feet of fresh stable litter should be put into the frame and firmly packed, with an inch or two of sand spread over it. This bed should be allowed to stand until the heat of the manure has declined to about 70°, and not below 65°, before the crowns are placed on it. For this work advantage should be taken of a day when the weather is mild, as the crowns are easily damaged by frost. Large crowns five or six years old are preferable to smaller ones for forcing. They may be placed rather closely together in the frame, but the distance apart must be regulated by their size. The roots should be spread evenly over the surface and covered with six inches of sand. Little water will be required, as the steam from the manure affords considerable moisture; but if the bed should become dry, it may be moistened with water of the same temperature as the soil in the frame. A little air may be admitted, when the day is bright and warm, to keep the temperature from rising above 80°. When the points of the shoots begin to appear above the sand the crop is ready to cut. When ground is plentiful, a supply of forcing crowns can be kept up by sowing a little seed every year, having five or six successions, the oldest plants being forced for cutting." With French gardeners it is customary to plunge the frames in warm stable manure and place the roots directly in the manure, packed as closely together as possible. A mere sprinkling of soil is placed over them. As a result the shoots come up very thick. Only strong, fine three-year-old roots are used, and as many as five crops of roots follow each other through the autumn, winter, and spring in the same frame. Straw mats are used to cover the frames at night. FORCING IN THE FIELD Forcing asparagus where it is grown in the field has a twofold advantage over removing the roots to a warm place. First, it saves the trouble and expense of transplanting them, which must be done with much care; and, second, it saves the plants from being ruined by the forcing process. Plants forced in the field where they grow will, if given good care, regain their vigor in a season or two, and may be used again for forcing. By this latter method a better quality and a larger quantity of marketable asparagus is also secured. Various means have been devised to force asparagus in the field, where it is so well established that it continues growth in the summer as though it had not been forced the previous winter. 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 them, the warmth from the manure forcing the shoots into rapid growth. When the forcing season is over and the danger from frost is past the barrels are removed, and the plants continue growth in the open air. Sometimes asparagus is forced by placing frames, covered with sash, over the plants in the field, the rows of asparagus being set rather close together. This is considered a very profitable method by many market gardeners. Another method of forcing asparagus in the field is to dig ditches between the rows and fill them with fermenting manure. The surface of the bed may also be mulched with manure. The latter plan is extensively practiced by French market gardeners. At the beginning of November the pathways between the beds of asparagus are dug up about two feet in depth and width. The soil coming from the pathway is divided very carefully and put about eight inches thick on the surface of the bed. The trench is filled up with fresh stable manure, not litter, and frames are placed on the bed. 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 escaping. In about two or three weeks the asparagus begins to show itself on the surface of the bed. Many market gardeners cover the whole of the bed inside the frames to a thickness of three or four inches with manure, to force the vegetation more quickly; but in this case the manure must be removed when the asparagus begins to shoot. When the shoots are about three inches out of the ground they may be cut. The mats must be taken off in the daytime, but the heat must be well kept up, else the roots and buds will fail to push. The beds are forced every second year only. The gathering of the asparagus may continue for about two months but no longer, or the plantation would be injured. When the gathering is over the frames are taken away, and the soil which was dug up from the alleys is put back again. An ingenious method of forcing asparagus in the field by means of shallow tunnels was devised and successfully carried out by Prof. J. C. Whitten, at the Missouri Experiment Station, who gives the following account in Bulletin No. 43: [Illustration: FIG. 35--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 ago. The plants were in fair vigor, though of a small variety. The first section forced embraced six rows, four feet apart, and fifty feet long. Fig. 35 shows this section with one tunnel uncovered. Trenches were first made between the rows. This was done by plowing between them, twice in a place, throwing the furrows on the plants so as to cover each row with two furrows of loose earth. These trenches between the rows were then made uniform by means of the spade. When finished they were three or four inches lower than the crowns of asparagus in the adjacent rows. These trenches were then covered with twelve-inch boards, which rested on four-inch blocks, placed at frequent intervals along either side of the trenches. This formed tunnels between the rows for conducting the steam. To guard against the steam's escaping, two or three inches of soil was placed over the boards, and the asparagus patch was then covered with five or six inches of horse manure. This covering was to prevent the heat from escaping from the soil too rapidly. It was then ready for the steam to be turned into the tunnels. "To conduct the steam a one and one-half inch pipe was carried above ground from the boiler to one end of the central tunnel, a distance of one hundred and eighty-five feet. A steam hose long enough to reach each tunnel was attached to this pipe through which to blow steam into the tunnels. It was not the idea to give a constant supply of steam, but to discharge a little into the tunnels each afternoon, or as often as was necessary to maintain sufficient warmth. A piece of tile was inserted into the mouth of each tunnel to prevent the discharging steam from tearing away the earth. "The first steam was turned into the tunnels on November 14th. Steam was discharged into each tunnel, not to exceed five minutes at a time, in order not to heat the earth too hot in any single place. It required about one hour of steaming the first day to bring the bed up to the required temperature of sixty degrees. The distribution of heat throughout the bed was very uniform and satisfactory. The moist steam seemed to permeate the soil equally in all directions. "After the first day very little steaming was necessary until the asparagus began to be produced. On an average the bed was steamed about twice in three days and then only for about five minutes for each tunnel. The soil and horse manure mulch seemed to hold the heat very well, the frequent steamings keeping up fermentation in the mulch. "The first asparagus was cut November 24th, ten days after the first steam was applied. The stems were cut just before they got through the soil and were perfectly bleached. They were as large as those ordinarily produced during the normal period of growth in spring, and were far more crisp and delicious. "Cuttings of asparagus were made almost daily for about a month, when the growth became somewhat weak. The last cutting was made on December 22d. During the month 141 bunches of the ordinary market size, and weighing about one-half pound each, were cut from this bed of 25 x 50 feet. This was equivalent to 300 feet of row or 100 hills of asparagus. "Exhausting steam into the asparagus bed, instead of returning it to the boiler in an inclosed circuit, would at first seem to be a wasteful