Stokes Seeds 



FRANCIS C. STOKES & CO., 235 EAST WASHINGTON SQ., PHILADELPHIA 



Mary Washington Rust-Resistant Asparagus 



SUPER-STANDARD 



The Largest and Most Tender Green Asparagus 



The Washington strains are now the only ones commercially profitable because of 



of the Asparagus Rust 



This is the fifth year we have offered Washington Asparagus 

 commercially. We were one of the first houses to adopt it, and, 

 according to all reports, our sale of roots last year has exceeded 

 those of any other seed-house. \\ e now have over two 

 million roots growing. These are of the Mary Washing- 

 ton strain, which we consider to be superior to the 

 Pedigree Washington and the Martha Washing- 

 ton, although we hold that all of the Washington 

 strains are very valuable, being highly resistant 

 to Asparagus Rust. We still believe that of the 

 three, Mary Washington will prove the most valu- 

 able commercially because of its increased size. 

 This is also the feeling of the large growers in 

 California — men who grow Asparagus in rows 2 

 miles long! (This past year we made one shipment 

 of over 150,000 roots to California, via Panama 

 Canal, under refrigeration.) 



The Asparagus Rust is a fungous disease which 

 has spread from coast to coast, having been in- 

 troduced from Europe about 1900. The develop- 

 ment of the Washington strains has been almost 

 entirely due to the devoted efforts of our good 

 friend, Prof. J. B. Norton, who, as a member of 

 the plant-breeding staff of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, cooperated with the 

 Massachusetts Asparagus Growers Association, 

 at Concord. Until this rust-resistant variety 

 was developed, it appeared as though the Aspar- 

 agus industry in this country was to be short- 

 lived. (Long Island completely abandoned its 

 fields.) We consider Prof. Norton's success to be 

 one of the high spots in horticultural annals. 



Mary Washington will produce the very 

 highest type green Asparagus it is possible to 

 grow. It is earlier, larger, and longer than the 

 Pedigree Washington and Martha Washing- 

 ton, and, for all commercial purposes, is 

 equally rust-resistant. The tips are very 

 tight and do not prematurely "sprangle out" 

 or "blow," a feature which greatly increases 

 its sales value. Asparagus with prematurely 

 loose buds does not keep well on the market, 

 and also loses its good flavor. This feature is 

 later recognized by the high branching habit 

 of the plant after the cutting season. 



Price of large, selected MARY WASHING- 

 TON ROOTS: $2.50 per 100 (postpaid). By 

 express f.o.b. New Jersey growing station, not 

 prepaid, $7.50 for 500, $12 per 1,000; 5,000 j 

 roots or over, $10 per 1,000. 



Price of PEDIGREED MARY WASHING- 

 TON SEED, delivered: Pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 40 cts.; 

 V 4 lb. $1.25; lb. $4; 5 lbs. $19. 



WARNTNfi There is a practice among some 

 firms offering Asparagus roots to 

 list their first-grade as two-year-old roots and their 

 6econd-grade as one-year-old. Do not be misled on 

 this point. Insist on the largest size one-year-old 

 roots, hand selected. Horticulturists long ago dis- 

 carded the theory that the older the root, the sooner 

 the first cutting. In practice just the opposite is true; at 

 least, so far as the size of the first cutting is concerned. 

 Ordinarily, a three-week's cutting season is possible 

 one year after our roots are set out. We recommend 

 spring planting as against fall planting. Set the roots 

 in rows 4V 2 feet apart and 20 inches apart in the row. 

 The crowns should be buried about 12 inches. Ap- 

 proximately 5,000 roots are thus required per acre. 

 One pound of seed will produce about 5,000 roots. 



the ravage 



