The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-08-11
ASPARAGUS GROWING INA COMMERCIAL WAY


The asparagus crop is probably the
most sensitive as to weather conditions
oil any grown. III the weather is cold
and dry, it will make but feeble,
slow growth; on the cctrary, if
warm, with frequent showers, the
plant will come on rapidly. Last
year the latter conditions on LONG
Island prevailed very early in the sea-
son, some two weeks before the can
rers were ready to commence packing
The result was that nearly third of
the crop had to be shipped to New
York and other markets, causing such
n glut that in many cases it did not
pay expense of shipment. When the
Gamers were ready to take it, the
cold, dry weather set in, so that not
much, If any, more than half an aver
age crop was put up.
The same condition prevails this
year, only much earlier, SO the
growth commenced before the beds
were ridged up. The two factories.
the one at Riverhead and the other at
Mattituck, take nearly all grown in
TINS famous asparagus section, which
extends from Calvcrton to Peconic, n
distance Of about twenty miles, al-
though n large proportion of it is
grown within radius of five miles
from Mattituck, in which district there
are probably about 300 acres old
enough for cutting three or moro
years., and many acres coming on.
The price paid the grower this year ia
81 per 100 lunches for No. / and S.
for cuIls. The latter is cut short and
put up MS tips" which retail ut about
one-third less than the first quality.
which IS put up in square boxes. Tho
tips are packed in round cans, and are
sold as second quality, when, in real.
ity, the asparagus is much better than
ih first quality.
The question IS often asked Is ns.
paragus profitable crop? That de-
ponds upon circumstances. AT tbe
present price which the Gamers nav.
~ per 100 buncnes, it is n good crop,
much better than potatoes ut sixty
cents per bushel With good cultiva.
ton, the average yield is $500 punches
per acre, and the cost for labor is no
moro than for an acre of potatoes
The best growers apply n ton of high
grade fertilizer annually, per acre,
one.h alf carly in the spring and one
half after blowing the ridge down
IN July. If the cost of labor is tho
same rs for m acre OF potatoes, the
relative cost of production can be
easily determined. Some growers say
1t Is three times rs much work TO take
caro- of q given acreage of asparagus,
as Of potatoes; admitting it, the reIa-
tive cost IS easily ascertaiued.
While at the present price the crop
Is profitable one, this is by no
means certain The growers arc in
the hands of tho cnnners, and must
take just what they arc disposed to
give, AS there is no other market.
without tho Gamer the plants might
as well be pIowed up, from the fact
that the production, being SO great
could not be disposed %. Asparagus.
like strawberries, mrst be sold as
soon rs cut, because OF its perisbable
nature, md there is so much grown
now that IT is not possible TO consume
~ when fresh. This was shown plainly
last year, when, during the ten days
1T was being cut before the Gamers
commenced operations, portion of
tho timc it did not pay the expense of
shipping Gamers contract only for
what they can handle between May /
and July ], packing about 5000 cans
per dny.-American Agricultural.