STOKES SEED FARMS COMPANY 



MOORESTOWN 



NEW JERSEV 



Asparagus 



Asparagus Officinalis 



History— A native of Europe, having grown in its wild state 

 in Great Britain, Russia and Poland. The Britons, Gauls and 

 Germans used it merely as a medicine. Gerard states that it takes 

 its name after the Latin, in that it signifies the first spring or sprout. 

 The Romans introduced it as an edible food. Cato the Elder, 

 200 B. C., treated the subject with great care. Pliny distinguished a 

 fine difference in the character of Asparagus grown near Ravenna 

 and certain other outlying points from Rome. Its cultivation and 

 use as a vegetable was made known to the people of the North by 

 the invading Roman armies. It is spoken of as a cultivated English 

 vegetable in the earlv sixteenth century; and in 1683, we have record 

 of it in the London markets. Many of the best gardeners have 

 contended that soil and cultivation conditions count for the apparent 

 difference in this vegetable and that it is not a question of the 

 distinct varieties so much as it is the parentage of the stock and 

 the conditions under which it is produced. 



No. 1. Washington Asparagus is a strain which has been 

 produced under the direction of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. The Bureau began this 

 work at Concord, Massachusetts in 1900, rust-resistance being one of 

 the principal features desired. From a single plant discovered at ( 'on- 

 cord in 1910, a commercial strain has been develoi)e(l. In 1915 this was 

 taken to South Carolina, which district is seriously infected with 

 asparagus rust. The seed which ire offer comes (Urectly from the 

 fields which were used as a guard field to protect the gorerniimd 

 seed plantation. Our supply is b(>ing grown commercially for us by a 

 man who thoroughly appreciates the value of peiUgreed stocks. 



Washington Asparagus is a rust-resistant, vigorous, high yielding 

 strain of giant Asparagus. The plants represented in its pedigree of 

 the last three generations are the best found in a ten years' search 

 among millions of plants tested. By best, we mean the ones that 

 have produced offspring, uniform, rust-resistant, high yielding, of 

 large size and rapid growth, all of which qualities indicate tenderness. 

 A more uniform type has not been seen among other so-called varieties 

 that were in any degree rust-resistant. Thorough investigation has 

 been made of Argenteuil, Palmetto and Reading Giant, none of them 

 having been found sufficiently uniform to justify theii- adoption as 

 the basis for breeding work. 



A bed of asparagus must be considered in the light of a jjermanent investment. For this reas(m we feel very 

 sure that our trade wdll be satisfied with no other than the best obtainable. Most other seedsmen will no doubt hold 



to the original idea that there is such a thing as variety in asparagus. For ourselves, we are 

 (|uite convinced that it is certainly no more than a difference in the strain and we are further 

 convinced that the culture of asparagus has more to do with it than any other factor. Very 

 often our customers .sjjecify wliite asparagus or gr(>en asparagus and to such inquiries we would 

 say that at the present time there are no cUstinct strains of either. By keeping the light away 

 from the young stalks, any asparagus will be white. As an economy in time, we advise 

 our customers to buy asparagus roots. If, however, seed is used, please be ad\ised 

 that two or more weeks are required for gennination. We would call attention to the 

 fact that we are only listing one-year old roots, this on the advice of experts from 

 the United States Department of Agriculture, who have well grounded proof for 

 their belief. 



Asparagus should be planted at one end or one side of the garden, 

 where it will interfere the least with the plowing and preparation of annual 

 crops. Price of roots, postpaid, ± doz. 50c, 50 $1.50, 100 $2.75. Bv express, 

 100 $2.50, 500 $12.00, 1,000 .122.00, 2,000 or more $20.00 per 1,000. Price 



WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS GROWING ON 

 WINDERMOOR FARM 



WA.SHINC; TON ASPARAGUS (x 3/5) 



of seed postpaid, pkt. 2oi, oz. 50e, M lb. $1.75, lb. $6.00. By express, 5 lb. 

 or over at the rate of $6.00 per lb. 



Write for Farmers' Bulletin No. 829, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 on "Asparagus." This can be obtained free from the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington, D. C. 



15 



An Asparagus Bed is a Permanent Investment. Only the Best Strain Should be Planted 



