VI 



SELECTION OF PLANTS 



HAT strong, healthy, one-^-ear-old plants are in 

 every way to be preferred to two or three 

 3ear old ones has been demonstrated by many 

 carefully condudted experiments, and is now 

 universally recognized b}' intelligent and obser\-ant 

 asparagus growers. The most noteworthy and accu- 

 rate experiments in this line were made by the famous 

 French asparagus specialist M. Godefroy-Leboeuf, who 

 planted twelve stools of one, two, and three years old 

 respeclivelj- in the same soil under the same condi- 

 tions and at the same time. Calling those plantings 

 Nos. 1,2, and 3, the following are the results obtained: 



First Year. — No. i. — All the stools came up before May 4th, 

 and were well grown. 



No. 2. — Ten stools showed above ground before May 4th, 

 one on the loth, and one appeared to be dead. The asparagus 

 heads were very fine — finer, indeed, than those of No. i. 



No. 3. — Eight stools showed above ground before May 4th, 

 one on the 12th, and three gave no signs of life. The heads 

 were very line at first, but they became bent toward the end 

 of the year (September 15th), and were much weaker than 

 those of No. 2. 



Second Year. — No. i. — Well-grown, regular, and strong 

 heads, which measured on September 15th one inch in circum- 

 ference. 



No. 2. — Well-grown but irregular heads, somewhat weaker 

 than those of No. i. 



No. 3. — Only pretty well-grown heads, very irregular, 



