SUPER-STANDARD STRAINS 



STOKES 



CRCWTSC SINCE 1675 



SEEDS 



Scene in a modern Asparagus house 



Practical Suggestions for Growing Asparagus 



Asparagus is of comparatively easy culture once a 

 bed is established. It should, with moderate care, 

 produce for upward of twenty years. In the matter of 

 soil, a sandy loam is preferable, although not a neces- 

 sity, for Asparagus is very adaptable to variable soil 

 conditions. The bed must be well drained, however, 

 for it will not thrive under extreme moisture. Prepara- 

 tion of the soil by thorough subsoiling and deep plowing 

 is a necessary step. Go down at least 15 inches. As- 

 suming that green Asparagus is preferable over the 

 white or blanched variety, we recommend that trenches 

 be dug 4V9 feet apart. These trenches should be a foot 

 deep, with the earth thoroughly loosened and liberally 

 dressed with well-decomposed stable manure, and a 

 layer of at least 2 inches of fresh earth put over this. 

 This allows a depth of about 8 inches for the planting 

 of the Asparagus root. Very often the trench is left 

 open, with only about 2 inches of soil over the roots or 

 crowns, fresh soil being applied as the root develops, 

 until, by the close of the first season, the surface is 

 practically level. We recommend that roots be set 20 

 inches apart in the row. Thus, approximately 5,000 

 roots are required per acre. This is about the number 

 of roots that can be produced from one pound of seed. 



Contrary to former practice, the best Asparagus 

 growers now transplant only one-year-old roots. It 

 appears that the shock of transplanting two or three- 



year-old roots greatly retards the future growth and 

 delays cutting. There is still a practice among some 

 firms of listing their first-grade Asparagus roots as 

 two-year-old roots, and their second-grade as one- 

 year-old. Do not be misled on this point. Our large, 

 one-year-old roots will allow a three-weeks' cutting 

 season the spring after they are set. The second season 

 thereafter, a full season cut may be obtained. April 

 and May are the best months for setting out an Asparagus 

 bed. We do not recommend fall planting. 



Arguments pro and con for green and for white 

 Asparagus are now largely drifting over to the green 

 side, so that now very few markets pay a higher price for 

 the big, coarse white sorts. The consumer has dis- 

 covered that the green product has the more delicate 

 flavor. The two types are produced from the same 

 variety — the difference of color being entirely due to 

 cultural treatment. Incidentally, green Asparagus can 

 be grown in much stiffer soil than the white. To 

 produce green Asparagus, practice level cultivation and 

 cut almost entirely above the ground; for white As- 

 paragus, it is necessary to hill the rows, cutting some 

 8 inches below the ground. Of all vegetables which are 

 improved by quick handling and freshness, Asparagus 

 is, perhaps, the best example. It begins to lose its rare 

 flavor within twenty minutes after cutting. There is 

 a lesson in this for the wide-awake roadside marketer. 



You Should Have a Wholesome Respect for Asparagus Rust! 



The fact that Asparagus Rust (Puccinia asparazi) does not appear on the newly grown shoots has caused many 

 growers to claim that they are immune to rust difficulties. Asparagus Rust is a fungous parasite introduced into 

 this country about 1900. Within eight years it had spread from coast to coast. It develops on the asparagus fern 

 during July and August", at first showing rectangular red-brown spots along the lower stem. These gradually spread 

 into the upper parts of the fern and cause the premature browning of the tops during the period when the plant 

 stores up its food- supply for the new spring shoots. The Mary Washington strain is almost totally immune. 



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