n6 



GARDEN FARMING 



Seed selection. Asparagus plants are dioecious, and for that rea- 

 son it is essential that both the seed parent and the pollen parent 

 be resistant to disease, of robust habits of growth, and bearing the 

 character of shoots desired. By careful breeding studies it has been 

 determined that the seed from certain pistillate plants when ferti- 

 lized with pollen from particular staminate plants gives not only 

 more robust but more disease-resistant seedlings. For best results 

 attention must be given to the selection of both parent plants. 



Two types of asparagus. In this country asparagus is placed 

 upon the market in two ways as blanched grass and as normal 



FIG. 35. Two types of asparagus 

 a, blanched grass ; Z>, green grass 



green grass. Until recently the markets have shown a positive 

 preference for blanched grass, but consumers have now discovered 

 that the green product carries the more delicate flavor, and in 

 many markets the green grass now commands the highest price. 

 The fact is that blanched grass is more profitable for the grower. 

 There are two reasons for this : (i) the blanched stalk is thicker 

 than the green one, and therefore fewer stalks will make a bunch ; 

 (2) green grass, because it develops aboveground, is more exposed 

 to the depredations of the asparagus beetle. The two types of 

 grass are produced from the same varieties, the difference in color 

 being entirely due to cultural treatment. These types of stalk are 

 well shown in figure 35. 



