VI 
SELECTION OF PLANTS 
HAT strong, healthy, 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 experiments, and is now 
universally recognized by intelligent and observant 
asparagus growers. The most noteworthy and accu- 
rate experiments in this line were made by the famous 
French asparagus specialist M. Godefroy-Lebceuf, who 
planted twelve stools of one, two, and three years old 
respectively in the same soil under the same condi- 
tions and at the sametime. Calling those plantings 
Nos. 1, 2, and 3, the following are the results obtained: 
First Year.—No. 1.—Ali the stools came up before May 4th, 
and were well grown. 
No. 2.—Ten stools showed above ground before May 4th, 
one on the Ioth, and one appeared to be dead. The asparagus 
heads were very fine—finer, indeed, than those of No. ft. 
No. 3.—Eight stools showed above ground before May 4th, 
one on the 12th, and three gave no signs of life. The heads 
were very fine at first, but they became bent toward the end 
of the year (September 15th), and were much weaker than 
those of No. 2. 
Second Year.—No. 1.—Well-grown, regular, and strong 
heads, which measured on September 15th one inch in circum- 
ference. 
No. 2.—Well-grown but irregular heads, somewhat weaker 
than those of No. I. 
No. 3.—Only pretty well-grown heads, very irregular, 
