KEEPING ASPARAGUS AFTER CUTTING. 



303 



through the butts, as there was now a positive accumulation of exhaled 

 moisture on the bottom of the box. The refrigerator temperature held 

 at 45= to 50° F. 



June 29, fourteen days after cutting, F was taken out. The stalks were 

 firm and crisp. The butts looked dry and old on their surfaces; but 

 if freshly trimmed by cutting off one-fourth of an inch of their length, 

 the bunch would have passed for freshly cut asparagus. Much moisture 

 had accumulated on the bottom of the box. The st Ucs were prepared 

 for drying in the usual manner. 



The usual determinations of dry matter and total sugar were made in 

 the dried material; 



Table VIII. 



Weight Fresh 

 (Grams). 



Weight 



after Keeping 



(Grams) 



Dry Matter 

 from Fresh 



Weight 

 (Per Cent.). 



Total Sugars 



from 

 Drv Matter 

 (Per Cent.). 



A, 

 B, 



C, 

 D, 



E, 

 F, 



528 

 535 

 474 

 512 

 453 

 578 



531 

 470 

 504 

 444 

 570 



6.76 

 6.73 

 6.79 

 6.64 

 6.25 

 6.00 



17.76 

 20.20 

 19.39 

 20.65 

 13.79 

 9.87 



There was one unaccountable discrepancy in this series, — A had a 

 lower sugar content then B, C or D. There may have been some con- 

 dition during the first hours of drying this sample which favored the 

 transformation of sugar into some of the lignified matter, but that is mere 

 conjecture. Ordinarily, a lowering in sugar has been accompanied by a 

 pronounced lessening of dry matter, which did not appear in this instance. 



Expemnent 6. — This experiment was begun June 19, 1916. The stalks 

 were a poor average lot, some having grown too tall and having heads 

 much opened, but a portion of the stalks were in excellent form for market. 

 The lot was divided into four bunches of as uniform quality and size as 

 could be estimated. 



Bunch A was immediately prepared for drying in the accustomed man- 

 ner. The other three bunches were set upright in the tin box with those 

 of Experiment 5, and none of them was removed until July 5, sixteen 

 days after cutting. As a whole, these three bunches were in poor condi- 

 tion when taken out. Some of the tips were attacked by a white mold 

 and some of the butts were soft with decay. Some stalks were shriveled 

 throughout their length. The stalks, were wiped dry with towels and 

 weighed. Then all stalks showing signs of decay or mold were rejected 

 from further study, and the remainder was sorted into firm and shrunken 

 lots. Of the original lot of stalks, 34 per cent, was rejected, 35 per cent. 



