28 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



likely to injure by exposure to the air, even for one 

 year ? 



Capt. MooEE. All mine grows, if it is only one year old. 



Mr. Peterson. Do you keep it confined in paper ? 



Capt. Moore. I keep it in boxes or barrels, or something 

 of that kind. I have no trouble with my own seed. I don't 

 want you to understand that I say that either Mr. Buxton or 

 the seedsmen had tampered with that seed ; but it did not 

 grow. I don't know why. I only say that Mr. Buxton's 

 seed is as good seed as any in the market. There is no seed 

 1 would buy quicker, if I wanted to buy it. 



Mr. Hadwen. Will Capt. Moore tell us in regard to 

 asparagus-seed ? 



Capt. Moore. I was probably the first man who grew 

 asparagus for the Boston market. I wanted to grow some- 

 thing that I could get some money for, and something that I 

 could transport to Boston easily, and that would not injure 

 in transportation : so I thought I would try asparagus. As- 

 paragus was then largel}^ grown in beds, and it was forked 

 over. My object was, in the first place, to grow a good article 

 at a low price : therefore the first thing was to substitute 

 horse-labor for manual labor. This was one of the reasons 

 for planting to the depths I mentioned in the paper. If I 

 were going to plant merely for family use, I doubt if I should 

 plant it so deep as that, because the difference of an inch in 

 depth makes a difference of a day or two in coming. I do 

 not tliink, that, in cultivating it for market, a day or two 

 makes much difference, because an asparagus-bed will grow 

 just about so many bunches, and, if picked very early, the 

 market is filled from New York and other places, and you 

 will not get as much money for it as you will if it is picked 

 later. Taking one year with another, asparagus brings more 

 the last week in May and the first week in Jane than at any 

 other time. It is no great object, therefore, to get it very 

 early ; and, as I said before, a bed will produce only about so 

 much without injury to the bed. When a bed shows signs 

 of exhaustion, you had better stop cutting it : otherwise, you 

 will find the bed will play out pretty quick, as I have known 

 a good many to do. 



Mr. Paul (of Dighton^. What are the evidences of 

 exhaustion? 



