FORCING 109 



an average the bed was steamed about twice in three 

 days and then only for about five minutes for each 

 tunnel. The soil and horse manure mulch seemed to 

 hold the heat very well, the frequent steamings keep- 

 ing up fermentation in the mulch. 



" The first asparagus was cut November 24th, ten 

 days after the first steam was applied. The stems 

 were cut just before they got through the soil and 

 were perfeAly bleached. They were as large as those 

 ordinarily produced during the normal period of 

 growth in spring, and were far more crisp and 

 delicious. 



' ' Cuttings of asparagus were made almost dailj- for 

 about a month, when the growth became somewhat 

 weak. The last cutting was made on December 22d. 

 During the month 141 bunches of the ordinary market 

 size, and weighing about one-half pound each, were 

 cut from this bed of 25 x 50 feet. This was equivalent 

 to 300 feet of row or 100 hills of asparagus. 



" Exhausting steam into the asparagus bed, instead 

 of returning it to the boiler in an inclosed circuit, would 

 at first seem to be a wasteful process of heating. 

 Experiment showed, however, that the circumstances 

 justified this method. Heating a bed of this kind by 

 a circuit of steam-pipes or hot-water pipes is very un- 

 satisfadlory. The heat from pipes very soon dries out 

 the soil around the tunnels, destroying its power to 

 condudl heat. In this way the bed becomes too hot 

 and dry adjacent to the tunnels and too cold a short 

 distance from them. It also becomes necessary to 

 maintain heat in the pipes a good part of the time. 



' ' By blowing steam diredlly into the tunnels the 



