Asparagus. 151 



The sticks should be graded into two and sometimes three 

 qualities "special," ordinary, and "sprue" the thickness, 

 length, and general appearance of the sticks being the guide. 



A market bundle of 

 " grass " varies in size 

 according to the district 

 from which it is sent, 

 That sent from the dis- 

 trict around Evesham 

 is made up into bundles 

 of 120, formed of six 

 smaller bundles of 20 



each, and this is coming 



Cradle for Bunching Asparagus, 

 to be recognised as the 



regulation size of a market bundle. Early in the season the 

 first few consignments are sometimes sent to market in bundles 

 of 25 or 50. 



The " cradle " depicted above is one of many similar devices 

 used for making up the bundles quickly and neatly. The heads 

 are laid in the recessed part of the front board, the stalks 

 resting in the two curved boards, and the bundle is secured 

 with two pieces of strong raffia. The six small bundles of 20 

 are made into one bundle of 120 by encircling them with slender 

 " twigs " of willow. The base of the bundle is then trimmed 

 off straight with a sharp knife, though sometimes only the 

 longest of the sticks are thus shortened. Asparagus should be 

 marketed immediately after cutting, as it soon deteriorates. 



Forcing. There are numerous ways of forcing Asparagus, 

 but none worth the consideration of the grower for market 

 which does not entail considerable expense and a long period 

 of waiting before there are any returns. At the same time if 

 the business is properly systematized and the work done well, 

 there appears to be no reason why the undertaking should not 

 be productive of considerable profit. 



Leaving aside the question of forcing in houses heated with 

 hot water, the methods which seem to be the most suitable for 

 the market grower are forcing on hot-beds, in pits, and in the 

 open beds where the plants grow. Each of these methods 

 depends for its success upon a sufficient supply of fermenting 



