28 ASPARAGUS 
plants are allowed to grow without cutting any. On 
each hill of the female plants the two strongest and 
earliest stalks are allowed to grow, cutting the later 
appearing spears with the others for market or home 
use. ‘Thus these early stalks of both male and female 
plants bloom together before any other stalks, and 
the blooms on the female plants will be fertilized with 
the pollen of the selected male plants. This last is of 
prime importance, for on proper fertilization depends 
the purity of the seed as well as the vigor of the 
resultant plant. Not all seed of even a good plant 
properly fertilized should be used for reproduction, as 
of the seeds gathered from any plant some will be 
better than others. Only the largest, plumpest, and 
best matured seeds should be used, for by saving these 
the most nearly typical plants of the sort will be most 
certainly produced. The selection of the best seed 
from typical plants is as essential to success as are good 
soil, thorough cultivation, and heavy manuring. 
The best seeds are produced from the lower part of 
the stalk, hence it is well to top the plant after the seed 
is well set, taking off about ten inches, and to remove 
the berries from the upper branches, that all the 
strength may go to the full development of the more 
desirable berries. If, after this has been done, the12 is 
more than sufficient seed for the purpose desired a 
second discrimination can be made between the seed of 
plants which produce numerous berries and those 
which are shy bearers, the latter being desirable, as 
this indicates a tendency in the plant to produce stalk 
rather than seed, and it is as a stalk producer that 
asparagus is valuable. 
