The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-01
Asparagus Growing in CONNER
ciaI Way.

The asparagus crop is probably the most
sensitive as 10 weather conditions of any
grown. says c. 5. Allen i'm American Agri-
culturist If the weather is cold and dry,
1t will make but a feeble, slow growth; on
the contrary if warm with frequent show
ers, the plant will come on rapidly. Last
year. the latter conditions ON Long Island
prevailed very early in the season, some
two weeks before the Gamers were ready
to commence packing. The result was
that nearly a third of the crop had to be
shipped to New York and other markets.
causing such a glut that i'm many cases
ii did not pay expense of shipment. When
the Gamers were ready TO take ii, the cold
dry weather set in, so that not much, if
any, more than half an average crop was
put up.
The same condition prevails this year.
only much earlier, SO the growth COM
menced before the beds We're ridged up.
The two factories, the one at RiVcrhead
and the other at MattiJuck, take nearly
all grown in this famous asparagus section
which extends from C3vertOn TO PecOnic,
a distance of about % miles, although
large proportion of IL is grown within
radius of miles from Mattituck, In which
district there are probably about 200 acres
old enough for cutting (three or more
years., and many acres coming on The
price paid the grower this year is 50 per
100 punches for No. and IS for culls. The
latter IS cut short and put up as tips "
which retail at about one-third less than
inc NIsA Niudillyt winch IS put up IN square
boxes. Inc tips are packed in round cans,
and sold as second quality when, in real
ity, the asparagus is much better than the
first quality.
The question is often asked. Is aspara-
gus profitable crop? That depends upon
circums tances. AT the present price
which the Gamers pay 80 per 100 punches.
ii is good crop, much better than pota-
toes at go cents per bushel With good
cultiyation the average yield is $500
punches per acre, and the cost for labor
is no more than for an acre Of potatoes.
The best growers apply a ton of high
grade tertlllZer annually, per acre, one
half early In the spring and 'pue-haN after
plOughing the ridge down In July. If
acre of potatoes, the relative cost of pro-
duction can be easily determined. Some
growers say il is three times as much
work to take care of a given acreage of
asparagus as Of potatoes; admitting IT,
the relative cost is easily ascertained.
While at the present price the crop is
profitable one this is by no means GER
tain. The growers are in the hands of
the Gamers, and must take just what
they are disposed to give, as there is no
other market. Without the Gamer the
plants might as well be plowed up, from
the fact that the production, being 50
great, could not be disposed of. Aspara-
gus, like strawberries. must be sold as
soon as cut because of its perishable
nature, and there is so much grown now
that II is not possible to consume IL when
fresh. This was shown plainly last year,
when, during the ten days IL was being
cut before the Gamers commenced opera
tons portion Of the time 1t did not pay
the expense of shipping. Gamers con-
tract only for what they can handle be
tween May ! and July !, packing about
5000 cans per days.