The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-09

SPARAGUS is said by those VINO
n make a study of food products, their
IL relative nutritive values ana area
n of consumption, to be the coming
Il vegetable" since the taste for it is
steadily becoming more pronounced all
over the world and in places and at
times when the fresh shoots arc not pro-
durable the canned output finds ready,
profitable and increasing sale.
While it grows wild along the south
coast of England and the herds of cattle
on the waste steppes of Russia browse
upon its succulent tops as II 1t were the
commonest timothy, the requirements for
its successful domestic culture have not,
until the last decade or so, been well I'M
derstood, consequently it has not in the
mast been considered more of a luxury
than an ordinary article of diet.
Very soon after the gold craze" the
discovery was made in this State that
the overflow" and "tule" lands along
the coast and river islands in the central
western part of the State were especially
adapted for asparagus culture on large
scale The climate and the rich sedimen-
tary soil of the localities united to pro-
duce q quality and quantity of crop I'M
surpassed in any part of the world, and
il was not long before our city markets
were fully supplied at the lowest prices.
Then the cannery people awoke to the
possibilities of the situation. Asparagus
is easy to can; 1t handles we'll as 1t
does not easily bruse or deface, requires
the simplest of preparation and cooking,
and does not in the least lose its inviting
appearance during the process of preser-
walton. Therefore ii is an ideal vegetable
for Gamers use.
They began to put 1t up, not being
quite sure of their market, and when
ten years ago 12O 900 two and half pound
cans of California raised asparagus were
sold in one season it was considered that
the limit had been attained.
How far they were wrong may be real
lied when it is known that last season
between $4,000 and 10000 cases, contain
ing two dozen two and a half pound cans
each, were disposed of so adVantageously
that this year the industry has received
a fresh impetus and several new glgahuc
asparagus farms have been started.
The latest move in this direction has
been made at Jersey Landing, WheTe
company with 100000 capital is making
energetic preparations to plant the entire
Jersey tract a trifle of 1000 acres, in as
paragus, in addition to the large acreage
already devoted to this special Yegetapie
in that vicinity. The company VIII puma
a cannery directly at the Landing to save
all expenses of transportation on the raw
material. CITE.
OF the forty large canneries in Califor-
mia nine devote themselves to asparagus
during its season, and four are run solely
for this branch of business.
The cultivation of asparagus is very
simple. It requires a rich. soft soil and
occasional irrigation in some localities.
-Four wears bring the roots to their best
producing capacity. Once properly
started, however. the beds are a source
of income for from fifteen to twenty
years and need comparatively little care.
There is no insect pest here that has a
special fondness for this crop; frosts and
winds do not trouble 1t. for 1T never peeps
time has come to be decapitated; and if