The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-07-07
4 Bunch Of Asparagus.

Rochester Express.I
First itmay be remarked that ssparagu.
culture, az "a general rule, Is but imperfect Is
understood ia this country. The average
American undergraduate would scarcely
recognize this hIghly-prized and healthful es
culent As it j. grown in England, France
and Germany. where the stalks are forced %
Il size q } thick : the base OF ones thumb
The general custom here outside Of the lead.
iug neutrality-suspicious. Of New York. B0s on
and he larger cities Is 10 cut only that p0r-
ton of the plant which projects above ground.
This is bitter and rank i'm favor, and only the
the tip j. tender, as compared with the plant
when cut it should beat the time when
the suake-Ike head does not project more
than an inch, or two inches at most beyond
the surface Of the soil. The knife should be
run down low in the earth, and have your rs
ragu--blanched, lustr0us, delicate and
tender. excepting the extreme base. Il is cut
in this manner only by good growers in
Europe. A bunch Of the largest grown
"Giaut' variety, cut green, would not bring
oue-hfth Of it, value when blanched, IN the
Paris market; nor would 1t be taken az a gift
in Cyvent Garden Market, in London, when
cut and grown is usually the custom here.
When cut even with the ground, instead Of
close TO the crown, the shoots that have just
beguu 10 sprOut have a tendency to grow up
Tank and spiudIing. When cut low, another
shoot soon starts. whereas, when cut at the
surface, the remaining portion retains the
moisture and still draws uOurlshment from
the plant. eufeebliug the latter, and not al
p
started, 10 develop as quickly or strongly as
they otherwise would.
To obtain large stalks, an asparagus bed re-
quHre- TO be closely cropped during the bear
ing season. or otherwise 10 has a tendency TO
cEaust the bed all spindliug shoots should be
vigorously kept down. To insure prolific
Weld as also large stalks. thorough manur-
inc is necessary n the Fall together with
liberal 0p-dressiug Of salt early in the Spring
ihe manure and the salt then to be forkei IN
der great fault of many beds is that the
plant IS not set low enough ia the earth, and
as "a consequence but small subsurtace
growth can result bearing bed requires to
accomplished with the Fall dressing may be
added 60 with "A top sprinkliH2 Of earth at the
time Of forkIuE in the Spring.
Properly grown, the shaft IL white and poll
isbed us ivory, and the point of the shoot of
rich lilac tiuge. Grown ia jhis way it Is in
huitely superior to the sickly, splndIlng
switches, with miserable apologies for pedes
cOnsumptively SIX or ght inches above ground
barely able 10 stand their own weight Of bit
LefutsS and aCerbIty. II should be observed
thsf the French, who grow the asparagus TO
the greatest perfection, generally cultivate II
in trenches and nurse IL from its infancy
with the utmost care. On the Continent this
escuicur is uniformly prepared by boiling in
water until il is perfectly tender, and then
served " ifh brown butter gravy, or "A sauce
a In IIo Misunderstanding the stalks, which are
never cut at table, in the primitive manner, I
with the fingers, leaving the tougher base of
the stalk. To serve mp green aspara gus Is 10
dIshonOr the table, say the French. DIcOurse
those who like to crack leathery asparagus
whips af The dInncr-tRble are welcome TO such .
gu-tatory music a they can evoke, As they are .
10 such harmony IS can be engendered from
sugar and vinegar fermentation IN their salad. /.