390 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 20. 
culture for the last seven years, or more, may wonder 
what is meant by the above title. Now, it so happens, 
that the title of “Drumstick Asparagus” was by no 
means coined by me. I am perfectly innocent of the 
point it contains. This much, however, 1 must say, 
that the term is so appropriate, that 1 would not seek to 
change it by any means. 
Thus much, by way of opening a question which 
concerns thousands; let us come to the subject at once. 
I will fancy myself addressing those persons who well 
know that there is good Asparagus and bad Asparagus, 
and yet another class still—middling Asparagus. They, 
doubtless, have heard repeatedly that the market-gar¬ 
deners about London are counted the first men in the 
world for big Rhubarb, fat Cabbages, very early Cos 
Lettuces, huge Cauliflowers, bouncing Celery, and I do 
not know bow many more good things: all this nobody 
doubts. But, oh, this naughty Drumstick Asparagus ! 
for, strange to say, the same clever heads and hands 
which produce these fat Cauliflowers, Lettuces, and 
•Celery, plot and carry out this drumstick system. 
I will now endeavour to show how this comes to pass. 
All the world knows that market-gardeners understand 
what is termed “the breeches-pocket” argument, and, 
in good truth, they may well do so. When we bear of 
a rental of some T12 to T14 per annum, per acre, and 
take into consideration the wear and tear, the horse and 
man affair, and the labour, we need not wonder that 
they should strain every nerve to not only make things 
meet, but also to endeavour to enjoy the fruit of their 
labours. 
But I do think that one portion of the public is 
more to blame than these Asparagus-manufacturers. 
I fear there is a host of persons in our great towns who, 
in making their fortunes, like to rise up to a higher 
standard like other classes of society; and in doing so 
misconceive the right point in things. If such persons 
admire, through a false taste, white Asparagus, neatly 
tied and trimmed, to natural Asparagus, why there will 
be sure to be supply. It is a pretty well established 
maxim, I believe, amongst our commercial classes, that 
where there is a demand there will be a supply. I do 
not for a moment believe that a great market-gardener, 
who had invited a country cousin or two to dinner, 
would cut his whitest Drumstick Asparagus for the 
occasion. My firm belief is, that he would rather cut 
from his young and rising beds that fat and green¬ 
looking material, which is so tender, that you may, in a 
hungry mood, swallow the whole length. Whilst the 
public patronise white Asparagus, they will assuredly 
be in danger of encountering “ Drumstick Asparagus 
so that, to begin at the beginning, the public taste must 
be ebauged. 
I will now endeavour to show why long and white 
Asparagus ought to be tough, and, I fear, ever must be 
so tough. Those who have noticed the differing habits 
of Asparagus, soiled and unsoiled, will readily call to 
mind this fact, that the unsoiled springs perhaps a 
fortnight earlier than that deeply soiled. Also, that the 
unsoiled is green from the moment it emerges from the 
soil. Another fact: if any one will do as I have done 
annually for a long period, taste the deepest soiled 
white “ grass,” and the unsoiled green “ grass,” when 
long enough to cut, be will at once perceive such an 
amount of tenderness and succulence in the green, as 
compared with the white, as will at once make him a 
common-sense Asparagus-man to his dying day. 
These things I have, I confess, boldly affirmed, as I 
felt in duty bound to do; and if any of our market- 
gardeners, or any other man of sound experience, can 
show any misconception of these matters, let it be done. 
We are all, 1 trust, iu pursuit of truth, and all liable to 
error. 1 take it for granted, that the longer the rising 
sprout is in coming through the soil, the more fibrous 
must its parts become. Now, it is of no use quoting 
such things as Sea-kale, Rhubarb, &c., in this case: 
they may become more tender and succulent through 
the very same process which makes Drumstick Aspa¬ 
ragus. If all these things, in the main, obey one general 
law as to their mode of development, they are not 
obliged to resemble each other precisely in the results 
of the blanching process as to texture, degree of flavour, 
succulence, &c. We all know that Asparagus in full 
stature and development, in August or September, is 
almost half a shrub in point of habit and strength of 
fibre, as compared with such blanched products as Sea- 
kale, &c. Surely, then, the main point on which tender 
and succulent Asparagus depends, must be found in 
averting the effects of time in its production. Quickly 
produced by powerful stimuli, and then the sooner eaten 
the better. I could easily urge other arguments which, 
although of a collateral character, would all tend to 
strengthen my point; but the readers of The Cottage 
Gardener, if I understand them aright, would rather 
purchase argument by their weight than by their 
length. 
I must, however, before leaving the subject, beg 
permission of the market-gardener to try and place the 
matter on an equitable footing. And now, how is it, 
let us ask, admitting that the market-gardener is by 
far too intelligent not to know how to grow succulent 
and tender Asparagus;—how is it, I say, that such is 
not the case? Who has not seen the retail folks going 
about the streets of London with a most imposing- 
looking bunch of white Asparagus? so imposing, in¬ 
deed, that I have allowed myself to be gammoned, and 
thought how fine it looked. But I have generally, after 
the moment of joke or hilarity of feeling has passed, 
repented me of such a hasty judgment, and the farce of 
black-lead pencils, patented, and with a host of gold 
letters on them, has irresistibly rushed in my head. 
Reader, if ever you bought, as I have done, a beautiful 
pencil, with an inch or so of what ought to have been 
purest Cumberland lead at the other end, and which in 
its working seemed more fitting to write on a metallic 
plate than in a fine lady’s billet doux , you will know 
what I mean. And, by-the-by, like the Drumstick 
“ grass,” you would only be able to use an inch-and-a- 
half, statute measure, out of a length of nearly a foot; 
but there is one consolation—the other negative end of 
the pencil makes capital fire-wood, and the other end of 
the “ Drumstick grass” will help to augment the muck- 
heap if properly conserved. The real fact is, the public 
like plenty for their cash ; and the fault, I do conceive, 
lies more in an indiscrimiuating taste than in a desire 
to impose. 
Let the public learn speedily to desire greenish 
Asparagus; and if it is of such a tint, and the bud at 
top has not begun to unfold at all, but is compact as a 
first-rate Cauliflower, they may depend that one bundle 
will be far more satisfactory than two; and that our 
gardeners will, as soon as the taste becomes general, 
instantly begin to put their house in order. 
R. Errington. 
MEETING OF THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
0th February. 
{Concluded from page 370.1 
Grapes. —Pine-Apples and Grapes have been more 
freely sent up|to these meetings, since I have attended 
them, than any other fruits for which the Society offer 
prizes; but I never saw half the quantity of Grapes 
exhibited at one meeting as we bad on this occasion. 
The best Grape-growers in England fought it out most 
manfully amoug themselves, and others joined, whose 
names are not so well known in London. Mr. Ingram, 
