144 LOCAL SELLING OF MARKET GARDEN PRODUCTS 



tlirough the trip and disappoint none. Be courteous, honest, give 

 good weight and measure and alwaj^s stand back of what you sell; 

 and should mistakes occur, rectify them to the satisfaction of all. 



CONTINUOUS SUPPLY 



The first crops to appear in the early spring are lettuce, spinach, 

 and asparagus. Lettuce when grown properly, by soT^^ng the seed 

 moderatelj^ thick and taking up plants with the earth attached, 

 and placing in strawberry baskets, will keep fresh and give a very 

 attractive appearance to your load. These boxes retail at ten 

 cents. It has been my method for the last few years to sow moder- 

 ately deep with the Planet Junior drill, and as the plants grow, I 

 have become satisfied that two or three plants will grow much faster 

 if they are huddled together than they will if they are at a distance 

 of five inches. They seem to protect each other, and for this reason, 

 I prefer them planted thickly. As they grow until the size of the 

 leaf may be three inches across, take up the entire row for four inches 

 and place in one side of the strawberry basket, then another, getting 

 the four inches and crowding it down beside the other. This will 

 make a large box of very nice looking lettuce. If this is done late 

 in the afternoon, the plants will not wilt in the least during the next 

 forenoon. If the ground is dry, it is very little work to drop these 

 boxes into water to the top of the box, till moistened. 



A succession of spinach should be kept until the first of November, 

 at least. Old spinach is not good and no one wants it. For this 

 reason, I sow spinach every ten days. I usually sell this in bunches 

 from three to four pounds at twenty cents per bunch. 



Asparagus, the most profitable crop grown, is put up in one and 

 one-quarter pound bunches, and readily sells at twenty cents. The 

 only trouble with asparagus is that it takes too long. Many people 

 can't wait till it becomes old enough to be ready for cutting. In the 

 asparagus business, we must wait until the crowns have come to the 

 right age for cutting. Then we never need fear not having a crop 

 that will be profitable. As soon as the asparagus is cut, I stand it 

 in water. Asparagus grows rapidly in water, both in weight and 

 length. I never sell under fifteen cents a bunch. 



Question: How large are the bunches around.^ 



Mr. Hallett: Probably three and one-half inches in diameter. 



Question: Do you use a buncher.'^ 



