182 VEGETABLE FORCING 



considering but is not so striking. The experiment 

 shows that it is a poor business proposition to plant small 

 roots, whether they are to be used for field culture or for 

 forcing. Average annual receipts per acre, during six 

 seasons of cutting, from No. 1 roots were $539; from 

 No. 2, $521 ; and from No. 3, $418. 



There is absolutely nothing to be gained by planting 

 more than one-year-old asparagus roots in field planta- 

 tions. If roots are to be grown primarily for forcing, it 

 would seem that the most profitable plan would be to 

 transplant the yearling roots early in the spring, and to 

 set them closer together than would be desirable if the 

 beds were to be cut over a term of six years or more. 

 Good plants and strong roots may be grown when they 

 are set in rows only 3 feet apart and the plants 1 foot 

 apart in the rows. Such close planting is unnecessary, of 

 course, if plenty of land is available. Somewhat stronger 

 roots will probably be grown if they are planted 2 by 4 

 feet apart. Whatever planting distances are adopted, the 

 plantation should have thorough tillage until the roots 

 are dug for forcing. Some gardeners prefer to begin 

 cutting in the field the second season from planting. It 

 will be seen by Fig. 61 that No. 1 roots, planted in 1908, 

 produced $106 worth of asparagus to the acre in 1910. 

 In four years of cutting, No. 1 roots produced a total of 

 $1,673 worth to the acre, after which they were in prime 

 condition for digging and forcing. Most growers who 

 have had experience in forcing asparagus prefer to dig 

 roots that are four years old from transplanting. In this 

 event, No. 1 roots would have returned gross receipts 

 amounting to only $397 to the acre. When roots are to 

 be used for forcing it is questionable whether the most 

 profitable practice is to dig them so early. It will be seen 

 by referring again to Fig. 61 that maximum returns were 

 not reached until 1914, which was the fifth cutting season. 



Digging and storing roots. Unless the crop is to be 



