The Culture of Vegetables 



will accomplish it. On the Continent many contrivances are resorted 

 to, such as covering the heads with wooden or earthen pipes. In a 

 few districts in France champagne-bottles with the bottoms cut away 

 are employed. But a strong growth being secured, the cultivator 

 will find it an easy matter to regulate the degree of colour according 

 to the requirements of the table he has to serve. As a rule, a 

 moderately stout growth, with a fair show of purple colour, is every- 

 where appreciated, and is the easiest to produce, because the most 

 natural. 



There is, however, an interesting point in connection with the 

 production of green Asparagus, and it is, that if wintry weather pre- 

 vails when the heads are rising (as unfortunately is often the case), 

 the tender green tops may be melted by frost and become worthless, 

 or may be rendered so tough as to place the quality below that of 

 blanched Asparagus ; for the blanching is also a protective process, 

 and quickly grown white Asparagus is often more tender and tasty 

 than that which is green, but has been grown slowly. As the season 

 advances and the heads rise rapidly the green Asparagus acquires 

 its proper flavour and tenderness, and thus practical considerations 

 should more or less influence final decisions on matters of taste. 

 The business of the cultivator is to produce the kind of growth that 

 is required, whether white or green, or of a quality intermediate be- 

 tween the two. This is easily done, making allowance for conditions. 

 When green Asparagus is alone in demand, the cultivator may be 

 advised to have in readiness, as the heads are making their first 

 show, a sufficient supply of some rough and cheap protecting mate- 

 rial, such as grass and coarse weeds, cut with a sickle from odd 

 corners of the shrubbery and meadow land, or clean hay and straw 

 perfectly free from mildew; but for obvious reasons stable litter 

 should not be used. A very light sprinkling of material over an 

 Asparagus bed that is making a first show of produce will ward off 

 the morning frosts, and amply compensate for the little trouble in 

 saving many tender green sticks that the frosts would melt to a jelly 

 and render worthless. After the second or third week in May the 

 litter may be removed, if needful ; but if appearances are of secondary 

 importance, it may be left to shrink away on the spot. 



Asparagus as supplied by market growers is needlessly long 

 in the stem. The bundles have an imposing appearance, no doubt, 

 but the useless length adds nothing to the comfort of those at table, 

 and is a wasteful tax on the energy of the plant. For home con- 

 sumption it will generally suffice if the white portion is three or four 



