Milford chronicle., 1905-02-10
Farmers Talk About Asparagus.


The meeting Of farmers at the New
Century Club Rooms in Milford on
Wednesday, February 1st, was attended
by an audience of farmers anxious to
gather all the ideas pertaining to their
profession. The subject OF Asparagus
Growing" was discussed from q sue
cessful growers standpoint by Il. w.
Ridgway. of SweedsbOrO, N. j., who
gave the essential points in its culture.
He claimed that variety Of asparagus
cut no figure with him in setting as
paragus; he always looked out for
variety that suited his lands and then
strove to better its condition. He Is
growing asparagus for money and not
for pleasure or pastime therefore ne
trys to grow the largest grass possible
His first grass is shipped to the Boston
market and has brought him from ~
to Sll per dozen punches he Kept ship
ping to Boston until it got down to
about $3.50 per dozen, then he took up
New York and Philadelphia for the
I
balance Of the season.
In comparing some Of the stalks IN a
bunch, and the price received ia Pnila'
delnhia. he said That for bunches
with ten stalks near the thickness OF q
broom handle, he got 40 cents for them
For other punches with forty stalks
but little thicker than lead pencil
he received only 10 cents per bunch.
From some Of his acreage he cut 2OOU
punches per acre, and commenced cut
ting two years from the planting OF the
seed and he said that it averaged him
| 10 cents per bunch, outside Of the cost ol
fertilizer and labor. Discussion brought
out the fact that his average profit from
an acre was about $3.50.
In selecting plants he chose those
with three or four crowns or heads anO
generally saved his own seed, Of whicf
he planted fully twice as many as h'
wanted so had plenty Of plants t'
choose from.
ASPARAGUS needs lots of moisture, anC
should not be planted near any treest'
get the best results.
He sets the plants about six or elgh
inches deep and puts them out imme
diately after digging, hence he loses ou
very few. He plants in rows five zee
apart and two feet in the row. AS TN
plant grows he adds little dirt, ant
as soon as it again gets through he ada
more, etc. Just as soon as be sees TN
fist sprout he puts on half ton o
fertilizer to the acre as much more j
needed at another time. In the fall NJ
snreads manure that he bought in New
York and worked that down aroun'
the plants. He works asparagus yer!
much as we do corn, and the manur
was put on to keep the land from blow
ing. as it was light sand; hence llgh
sandy land is adapted to growing as
e Rust and insects will take some G
YOUR attention in growing asparagus
but the patch should be cleaned OF
each IAll, anu All AhC AoiNSS
He continues cultivation until the Gro
is all harvested.
: Briefly the whole truth is that IN
more you do for and give attention
asparagus. in the way Of phosphat'
g the more it will do for you, and 1t
e surely enc ofthe very best pay ing crop
produced on an acre Of ground.
Could these discussions be printed
the local papers of Delaware, the
would he of great value to scores
farmers who never think Of attendin
' farmers meetings. or read the proceed
ings in pamphlet form. They can
I placed before the people in the paper
if those taking an interest in agrlcu
ture will make concerted eff"rt to haV
it done. 1t will be money well spent
N.wr