KEEPING ASPARAGUS AFTER CUTTING. 



305 



The disappearance of the sugar is probably, in part, a transformation 

 into the cellulose group of carbohydrates. This view was suggested by 

 the work of Mrs. K. G. Bitting, who kindly allowed me to read the proof 

 sheets of her bulletin on "Deterioration in Asparagus,"^ in which she has 

 shown that asparagus tissues develop increasing areas of lignin when the 

 stalks are kept for twenty-four hours or more after being cut from the 

 crown. 



In order to elucidate further the character of the changes in the groups 

 of constitutents in the asparagus, Mr. C. L. Beals determined the crude 

 fiber and fat in the dry matter of the six samples described in experiments 

 1 and 2. The results are given in per cent, of dry matter and absolute 

 weights calculated in the fresh stalks 



Table XI. 

 Per Cent, in Dry Matter. 



A 



Fresh. 



B 

 Kept Warm. 



C 



Kept Cool. 



Exi)eriment 1 : — 

 Fiber, 

 Fat, . 



Experiment 2: — 

 Fiber, 

 Fat, . 



10.54 

 2.74 



10.99 

 2.85 



15.51 

 2.04 



17.59 

 2.29 



12.71 

 2.75 



13.01 

 2.94 



Grams in Fresh Material, 



Experiment 1 : — 

 Dry matter. 

 Fiber, 

 Gain, 

 Fat, . 

 Loss, . 



Experiment 2: — 

 Dry matter. 

 Fiber, 

 Gain, 

 Fat. . 

 Loss, . 



• K. G. Bitting: Bulletin 11, National Cannera' Association, Washington, D. C, 1917, 18 pp. 

 plates. 



