92 ASPARAGUS 



arms may be adjusted to any size bunch desired by 

 simply loosening the bolts at either end, and pulling 

 out the arms so as to fit the shape of the bunch, and 

 thus both ends can be bunched properl^^ The style 

 of buncher and knives in favor with growers in the 

 famous asparagus region near Concord, Mass., are seen 

 in Fig. 30, and the process of bunching in Fig. 31. 



FIG. 2g — WATT S ASPARAGUS BUNCHER 



Tying materials. — Twine, Cuban bast, sisal, and 

 various other materials are used for tying, but nothing 

 is better for this purpose than rafi&a fiber. This is 

 obtained from the raffia or rofia palm, a native of the 

 island of Madagascar. The tree sends enormous 

 branches from near the ground, the pinnate leaves of 

 which produce this fiber. One palm frond will produce 

 eighty to one hundred long, green leaflets from two to 

 five feet in length, and from this the fiber is prepared. 

 " Silk lamba "' is also a produdt of this palm. Raffia 

 fiber is now extensively used for tying up plants, for 

 grafting, and many other purposes, as it is very strong, 

 as soft as silk, and is not affecfled by moisture or 



