54 VEGETABLE GROWING. 



one tier of bunches in a compartment. Place some 

 soft moist material, as moss or grass, in the bottom 

 and set the bunches upright on this ; cover with the 

 same soft material and put a cover over the tier. 

 Another tier may be put above in the same manner 

 as described for the first. These crates must be sent 

 to the market right side up. Care must also be taken 

 not to bruise or otherwise mutilate the stems, as this 

 is liable to induce them to rot in transit. 



BLANCHING. 



Often asparagus is not cultivated, but this may be 

 done with profit. It too often happens that it is al 

 lowed to go to seed. This falling between the rows 

 obliterates them, besides crowding the plants, which 

 makes the stalks come up slender and too small for 

 market. If all seed stalks are cut off before the berries 

 are half grown, this difficulty will be obviated. To 

 blanch the product, a furrow is thrown upon the row 

 from each side and raked level. By so doing the 

 plants are buried several inches deeper than they grew. 

 The light being excluded from the growing shoot, no 

 chlorophyll forms until the tip bursts through the 

 ground, when the cutting should be done. After the 

 winter frosts have killed the plants to the ground, the 

 tops may be removed and composted and the bed 

 raked, to be ready for early spring cutting. While 

 our markets do not call for blanched asparagus, the 

 blanched article will sell first when both are on the 

 same market and offered for the same price, indicat- 

 ing that there is a decided preference for the blanched 

 article. 



RAISING PLANTS. 



During summer certain of the stalks produce flowers, 

 and later, seed ; this is in the form of small berries 



