182 VEGETABLE FORCING 
considering but is not so striking. The experiment 
shows that it is a poor business proposition to plant small 
roots, whether they are to be used for field culture or for 
forcing. Average annual receipts per acre, during six 
seasons of cutting, from No. 1 roots were $539; from 
No. 2, $521; and from No. 38, $418. 
There is absolutely nothing to be gained by planting 
more than one-year-old asparagus roots in field planta- 
tions. If roots are to be grown primarily for forcing, it 
would seem that the most profitable plan would be to 
transplant the yearling roots early in the spring, and to 
set them closer together than would be desirable if the 
beds were to be cut over a term of six years or more. 
Good plants and strong roots may be grown when they 
are set in rows only 3 feet apart and the plants 1 foot 
apart in the rows. Such close planting is unnecessary, of 
course, if plenty of land is available. Somewhat stronger 
roots will probably be grown if they are planted 2 by 4 
feet apart. Whatever planting distances are adopted, the 
plantation should have thorough tillage until the roots 
are dug for forcing. Some gardeners prefer to begin 
cutting in the field the second season from planting. It 
will be seen by Fig. 61 that No. 1 roots, planted in 1908, 
produced $106 worth of asparagus to the acre in 1910. 
In four years of cutting, No. 1 roots produced a total of 
$1,673 worth to the acre, after which they were in prime 
condition for digging. and forcing. Most growers who 
have had experience in forcing asparagus prefer to dig 
roots that are four years old from transplanting. In this 
event, No. 1 roots would have returned gross receipts 
amounting to only $397 to the acre. When roots are to 
be used for forcing it is questionable whether the most 
profitable practice is to dig them so early. It will be seen 
by referring again to Fig. 61 that maximum returns were 
not reached until 1914, which was the fifth cutting season. 
Digging and storing roots.—Unless the crop is to be 
