96 ASPARAGUS 
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 mois- 
ture 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. 
Crates.—There is no standard shape or size of 
