220 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
281. Harvesting. — There is an increased tendency to 
cut a small percentage of the shoots the second year. 
The majority of growers regard it a mistake to cut before 
the third year, and yet there are examples of growers 
harvesting $50 worth of shoots an acre the second year 
without any apparently injurious effect upon the cuttings 
of subsequent years. The cutting season of the third 
year should not continue longer than three or four weeks. 
It is well understood, of course, that the renewal of the 
shoots is an exhaustive process, and it is possible to re- 
duce materially the vitality of the crowns by cutting too 
severely. It is true, however, that the average length of 
the cutting season is longer today than ever before. 
Formerly, it was thought that the plants would not stand 
a cutting period of more than six or seven weeks. Then 
the period was lengthened to eight weeks, and now nine 
is common. Successful growers sometimes cut for 10 or 
11 weeks, but this is possible only when the season is 
very early and beds or fields are in prime condition. 
Whenever the shoots begin to show weakness it is cer- 
tainly time to stop cutting. In the North, harvesting 
generally begins during April and continues until June 
15, or two to three weeks later. If the bed is to be 
abandoned, cutting can be continued in the summer as 
long as the crop pays. 
In foreign countries the shoots are nearly always 
removed with the hand, breaking them neatly without 
injury to other shoots and without leaving a stub to 
decay. In this country, special tools have been 
devised for the purpose. The point of the knife 
is shoved down the shoot the required distance, the 
handle moved from the stock to form the required 
angle and the knife then thrust through the shoot. 
As asparagus bunches vary from 7 to 10 inches in 
length the cutting of the shoots must be regulated 
accordingly. Then, too, the height of blanching and con- 
