ASPARAGUS 1475 
common cultivation under the name of asparagus, and sold in 
the market as “grass,” have been derived from one species, 
Asparagus officinalis. 
Although but one species is to be found in cultivation there are 
many so-called varieties. Thus we have Colossal, Barr’s Mam- 
moth, Donald’s Elmira, Palmetto, ete., in our own country, be- 
sides the numerous varieties cultivated in France, Germany, Eng- 
land, ete., when in reality there are but three or four of them, all 
of which deserve to have special names, being nearly all suscep- 
tible of classification under the general head of “Giant” or 
“ Mammoth,” indicative of the improved size produced by the 
superior conditions of manuring, soil, climate and cultivation, to 
which they have been subjected. 
PRODUCTION OF PLANTS FROM SEED 
For the asparagus grower there aye two methods by which plants 
can be secured: first, by purchasing or saving the seed by which 
to raise them, and, second, by purchasing the plants from a 
seedsman or some grower. Taking the second method as the 
easiest and quickest way to start a bed it is suggested that the 
purchaser be very discriminating in what he accepts and who he 
accepts it from. He should know the variety he wants to plant, 
should allow no substitution, and accept good one-year-old roots 
only. Too many beds have been failures because of this oversight. 
The first method is by far the surest where time can be al- 
‘lowed and care given to growing the young plants from seed. In 
using this method the first requisite is good seed. It is not suffi- 
cient to know that the seed will germinate and grow; it should 
have prepotency. In order to secure this kind of asparagus seed 
care must be exercised either by the seller or the grower himself. 
This is rarely ever done in the commercial trade, hence do not 
trust your plantings to commercial seeds. Go to the man who 1s 
producing the best “ grass” and have him save seed for you from 
choice crowns — those not producing too many stalks, but large 
ones. 
Reject all plants that produce an abundance of seed because 
such plants may transmit that characteristic to their progeny. It 
is a well known fact that those plants that are heavy seed producers 
