The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-09-09
- SssM ss.AssS
MGARMeFogaD
$ AAN GARDEN
A POINT IN ASPARAGUS CULTURE.
Would II Pay to Secure Field En-
tireiy of Male Asparagus Plants?

Would 1t Pay to Secure Field En-
tirely of Male Asparagus Plants9
Mr.. Green, of the Ohio experiment
station, reports that male plants of as
paragus proved about 80 per cent. more
productive than the female, and the
shoots, being larger, have greater mar
ket value. Among prominent agricul-
turists commenting in The Rural New
Yorker upon the question whether it
would pay to secure a field Of male as
paragus plants exclusively Mr., e. S.
Golf, of the Wisconsin experiment sta
ton, says: "lf the results obtained by
Mr.. Green can be depended upon for all
plantations of asparagus, it seems to me
that all growers of this vegetable To-
Gated upon high priced land can afford
the extra labor required to grow exclu-
sively male plants.
''For such plantations the seedlings
could be grown in the country, where
land is cheap, and set out closely, where
they could remain until their character
can be determined, when the male plants
could be assorted out and removed to
their permanent place. think it may
fairly be questioned if all plantations of
asparagus would show so marked a diff
ference in favor Of the male plants as
did Mr.. Green's. In trial conducted
by myself in 1899, on garden bed, the
male plants showed no appreciable ad-
vantage in productiveness. The report
of this trial has not been published be.
cause the bed was not large one and
the plants We're rather uneven"
Mr.. w. M. Munson, of the Maine sta
ton, says: SIN my opinion the extra
trouble of selecting male plants would
be justified. There is certainly a marked
difference in the yield of male and fe-
male plants, and the best is never toe
good"
J. M. Smith says: "The only safe way
know of to distinguish the male from
the female plants would be to let both
grow in the seed beds for at least two
years, for the plants rarely bear seeds
the first year, and then mark the sexes
in such a way that each can be known
If by this means we get nice bed OF
pure staminate plants, it is said that nc
seeds will como up in the spring, an.
noying us with great host of young
plants, and these must be destroyed OF
the bearing beds will be ruined within
a few years.
after l have finished cutting for the
season, my beds make tremendous
growth and large crop Of seed ripens
every fall. This growth is all allowed
to remain on the ground during the
winter, as it is the most perfect mulch
have ever seen. After taking off and
burning the tops the beds get a very
heavy dressing of manure, which il
worked in, care being taken not to dis
turb the roots, and the beds are ready
for their seasons work. After time
the weeds begin to come up, and as the
weather becomes warmer the young
plants from the seeds left upon the beds
start also, and both must be destroyed
The best way to do this is to set som,
good, careful men at work with broad
hoes, just after we have cut the bed!
very close. They destroy the weeds ani
the young asparagus plants at the same
time.
Eve finished hoeing our beds on Jun,
8, and doubt very much whether it hal
cost me one dollar extra to destroy tn,
young asparagus plants with the weeds
| and / do not remember ever to have fount
it necessary to go over the beds on pur
pose to destroy the young plants. | d.
not believe that could make any none.
| by going to the trouble and expense O
making beds Of purely male plants. /
| had thought so-and have though
the matter over many times-I woul'
certainly have had beds of them nun
Der of years ago"