1 20 ASPARAGUS 



ing forty-eight pounds each, thus making an acftual 

 weight of 432,000 pounds. By far the larger portion 

 of the 3'early asparagus crop in California is canned or 

 preserved in glass, and in that shape sent to the East, 

 exported to England and the continent of Europe, and, 

 in fa(5l, to every civilized country of the world. For 

 canneries where nothing but the white produdl is put 

 up the shoots are cut the instant they show their tips 

 above the surface. The canneries are located as near 

 the fields as possible, the effort being to get the prod- 

 udl in glass or cans before it becomes in any way 

 withered, the important point being that asparagus is 

 never allowed to become dried. 



The method employed at Bouldin Island, where a 

 crop of 1,500 acres is canned annually, is to have 

 troughs containing running water in shady places in 

 the fields. The asparagus, as fast as cut, is brought 

 to these troughs, and is thoroughly w^ashed. These 

 troughs are just wide enough to take in the shoots of 

 the proper length for canning, and each piece is trimmed 

 before being immersed. From the troughs the aspara- 

 gus is taken to the sorting table, then on to the scalding 

 vats until it reaches the fillers, where is completed the 

 systematic handling of this producfl, packing it to per- 

 fection, nothing remaining except to be labeled, when 

 it is ready to be forwarded to the markets of the world. 

 The entire process from the time the stalks are taken 

 from the ground to the time they are ready for the 

 table consumes less than six hours. The process 

 throughout is a marvel of cleanliness, particular atten- 

 tion and stress being laid on every detail conne(5led 

 with it. No bleaching agents or anything foreign or 



