HARVESTING AND MARKETING 



85 



face, the upper half of the stalk is green while the 

 lower half remains white. 



For green asparagus the sprouts are cut when six 

 or seven inches high, and then only so far below the 

 surface as to furnish a stalk about nine inches long. 

 For the white style the rows have to be ridged twelve 

 inches above the crowns, and the stalks are cut as soon 



FIG. 23 — BASKET OF ASPARAGUS READY FOR THE BUNCHING 

 SHED 



as the tops show above the ground, the cutting off 

 being eight or nine inches below the surface. 



Whichever method is followed, it is very impor- 

 tant to cut every day during the season, and to cut 

 clean at each cutting, taking all the small sprouts as 

 well as the large ones. If the weak and spindling 

 shoots are allowed to grow they will draw away the 

 strength from the roots, to the injury of the crop. 



When cutting, the sprout is taken in the left hand 



