APPENDIX 
ON THE COLLECTING, STORING, 
Large quantities of vegetables are spoilt either 
by collecting them too early or too late, by 
faulty storing, or by bad packing. There is a 
certain stage in the life of every vegetable when 
it is at its best for human consumption. If this 
period is anticipated the best qualities cannot 
be brought out by those cooking or preparing 
them for use, while on the other hand the 
period of collecting may be too long deferred, 
and coarseness, or lack of tenderness, has to be 
obviated by means not conducive to their whole- 
someness when cooked. It is very certain that 
vegetables cannot well be too fresh, and that is 
where home-grown produce has, or ought to 
have, a decided advantage over any purchased. 
At times it becomes imperative to collect vege- 
tables before they are really required for use, or 
otherwise they will spoil where grown, whereas, 
when stored for a long or short period, as the 
case may be, they can be retarded in some in- 
stances and protected from bad weather in others. 
Too much care cannot be taken in select- 
ing, grading, bunching, and packing vegetables, 
whether they are to be marketed or sent to 
their owner’s town or sea-side house.  Direc- 
tions for the most important vegetables in regard 
to the time to collect them, either for immediate 
consumption, or for storing or for packing them 
to be sent a long journey, are given here:— 
Artichoke. — The Globe section, grown 
exclusively for their flower-heads, should not 
have these cut for use before the scales are 
fully unfolded. It would be a mistake to cut 
them when no more than half-grown, or to 
leave them till they are opening in the centre. 
As soon as a few of the outer scales open, 
cut the heads with a short length of stalk 
attached, and if not wanted for use the same 
day stand them in a pan of water in a cool 
dark place. As severe frost damages them, 
they require protection of some kind, if not 
cut and stored as advised. 
AND PACKING OF VEGETABLES 
them. If laid flat and close in fresh long grass, 
fixing them tightly in the hamper or box with 
more of the same or some kind of soft green 
vegetable, they will travel safely. The same 
pains should be taken in packing for market. 
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES keep best when left 
in the ground where grown, digging them as 
required. In order to be able to accomplish 
this during severe frost, cover a portion of the 
bed with straw litter. When the tubers are 
sprouting, or say late in March, what remains 
of the crop should be lifted, cleared of shoots, 
and stored in moist sand and cool quarters. 
Very large tubers are not desirable. The 
white-skinned variety is usually preferred. It 
will not harm the roots if they are first washed 
and then packed loosely in the bottom of ham- 
pers, and they may be sent to the markets in 
bags in the same way as Potatoes. 
Stachys tuberifera, commonly called Chinese 
Artichoke, form small spiral tubers which are 
available for use during autumn and winter. 
If the tubers are exposed to the atmosphere 
for a few days they quickly shrivel and become 
valueless. They ought, then, to be left in the 
ground, protected with strawy litter, and in 
the spring what are still under should be lifted 
and at once stored in sand. Enclosed in paper 
bags they can be sent any distance in ordinary 
mixed vegetable hampers. 
Asparagus.—Shoots of Asparagus cannot 
well be too long, always providing the points 
are not unduly developed. It is also desirable 
that a good portion of the stalks should be 
blanched, not necessarily. because this is a sign 
of good quality, but rather because they look 
better. The greater part of the shoots should be 
eatable and not blanched and stringy. French 
Asparagus is very large and blanched to nearly 
its full length by high culture and by heavily 
mounding over the plants with light soil. Too 
often English-grown plants are not planted deep 
Globe Artichokes bruise rather easily; it is | enough, and the produce would be greatly im- 
well, therefore, to take some pains in packing | proved if the shoots had to come through at 
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