ASPARAGUS 189 
Marketing.—The spears should be removed from the 
crowns with care, to avoid injury to buds or shoots that 
may be starting. In loose soil it is an easy matter to 
break them off with the thumb and fingers. In deep beds, 
which are required to blanch the spears, an asparagus 
knife will be found to be an advantage. 
Half-pound bunches rather than larger sizes are in most 
demand. The price varies from 20 cents to 75 cents a 
bunch. It is probable that satisfactory returns cannot be 
realized at a price which is much less than 75 cents a 
bunch. 
Well-managed beds will yield for a period of four to 
six weeks. If excessively high temperatures are main- 
tained the crowns become exhausted in four weeks or less. 
