84 ASPARAGUS 



cut after the ist, particularly if the season has been 

 a favorable one. Except on old and well-established 

 plantings, cutting should not extend for more than six 

 or seven weeks. Some growers cut asparagus as long 

 as it pays to ship, regardless of the damage done to the 

 plants. The old rule to discontinue cutting asparagus 

 when green peas are abundant is a safe one to follow, 

 especially in the home garden. Unlike other crops, 

 about as much can be cut each daj^ or at each cutting, 

 as the day before, during the season, varying only 

 according to the weather. 



Manner of cutting . — The mode of cutting aspara- 

 gus varies according to the requirements of the mar- 

 kets, whether green or white stalks are desired. What- 

 ever individual preferences may be, the fact is that in 

 New York City, and some other large market centers, 

 75 per cent, of the asparagus sold is white or blanched, 

 and it would be useless to \xy to persuade the buyers 

 to take anj^ other. To show how extreme the con- 

 vidlions are in this matter of taste, we quote from 

 Prof. J. F. C. Du Pre, of the Clemson Agricultural 

 College: "Why any one should prefer the almost 

 tasteless, insipid white to the green 'grass,' into 

 which the sunshine has put the flavor of ambrosia, 

 is beyond my comprehension." On the other hand, 

 Leboeuf, the famous asparagus expert of Argenteuil, 

 writes : ' ' Properly blanched asparagus is infinitely 

 more tender and delicate than green. To serve up 

 green asparagus is to dishonor the table." 



In recent years a compromise has been made be- 

 tween the two styles. By allowing the tops of the 

 hilled-up sprouts to grow four inches above the sur- 



