86 FRENCH MARKET-GARDENING 



9. Cut only in accordance with the size and vigour 

 of the plant. 



10. Always pick by hand instead of cutting with 

 the Asparagus knife. 



By intelligent attention to these details the Argen- 

 teuil growers have made themselves famous in the 

 Asparagus world. 



CUTTING ASPARAGUS. When the shoots of Asparagus 

 are sufficiently advanced in growth to be picked, some 

 little care is necessary in detaching them from the 

 parent rootstock hidden beneath the soil. The pro- 

 fessional grower scorns to use any instrument except 

 his fingers. Having scraped a little of the soil away, 

 he inserts one or two fingers carefully behind the re- 

 quired shoot, gently bends it forward, and in this way 

 snaps it off without injury to the other shoots. Various 

 knives are used, however. One kind has a long shank 

 inserted in a wooden handle, while the cutting blade 

 is curved like a small scythe, and has a saw-like edge. 

 Flat-bladed and semi-circular bladed gouges are also 

 used. Whatever instrument is used should be pushed 

 carefully down amongst the shoots. A dexterous 

 twist is then given with the wrist, by means of which 

 the shoot is severed at the base, and is brought above 

 the soil. 



BUNCHING ASPARAGUS. To make the Asparagus 

 shoots into nice bundles as seen in the shops and 

 markets, special frames, moulds, or " bunchers " are 

 used, as shown in fig. 18. It is quite an art, making 

 and tying the bundles. The shoots are first of all 

 picked over, and all those too small or too thin for 

 the mould are rejected, and afterwards made into 

 bundles by themselves, and sold as " Sprue." The 



