306 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 172. 



This series of determinations fully corroborated the increase of lignified 

 tissue, as there was a positive gain in the absolute amounts of crude fiber 

 or cellulose in the samples held for three days, w,hich gain was more than 

 twice as great in the warm room. At the same time there was a positive 

 loss of the fatty extract in the warm room, but an almost negligible 

 shrinkage in the refrigerator. 



The pronounced destruction of sugar by respiration and the increase of 

 lignified tissue must affect the flavor and tender crispness of the young 

 stalks, and these changes were much lessened by the lower temperatures. 



The development of fiber or cellulose at the expense of sugars and fatty 

 matter is a logical consequence of the continued growth of asparagus 

 stalks after they have been cut from the crown. The comparative 

 amounts of this growth at summer temperatures and the cooler ones 

 of the refrigerator have been studied with interesting results. 



Freshly cut stalks of asparagus were divided into two lots, one of which 

 was left in a warm room over night, or about ten hours, while the other 

 was placed in the refrigerator for the same period. Both lots of stalks 

 stood with butts in shallow water. 



The temperatures of room and refrigerator were noted at the beginning 

 and end of the period, and as neither was opened during the time, it was 

 assumed that the temperatures had remained within the limits noted. 

 The increase in length of each stalk was carefully measured. The total 

 number of stalks used in the different trials was 25. The average results 

 for each trial are tabulated in Table XII. 



Table XII. 



Temperature 

 (Degrees F.). 



Growth 

 (Millimeters), 



Temperature 

 (Degrees F.). 



Growth 

 (Millimeters). 



June 2, 

 June 4, 

 June 7, 

 June 20, 



75-76 

 70-71 

 68-71 



12.3 

 14.3 

 11.7 

 18.6 



52-56 

 49- .54 

 49-54 

 45 



4.3 

 2.5 

 4.0 

 2.6 



The average rate of growth in the M^arm room was more than four times 

 as fast as that in the refrigerator. At no time was the refrigerator cold 

 enough to stop entirely the elongation of the tips, but at 45° F. it was 

 nearly negligible. 



Summarizing the results of these varied experiments, it is clear that in 

 Experiments 1 and 2, the changes in the warm room were fully double 

 those in the refrigerator. In Experiment 3, the bunches in the warm 

 room changed three times as fast as the bunch on ice. In Experiment 4, 

 the bunches in the warm room changed more in one day than those in 

 the refrigerator changed in four daj's. In Experiment 5, the asparagus 

 changed very little in a week, when kept in a close atmosphere in the 



