The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-12-01
MIST BE DONE
JUST RIGHT
With Proper Preceding
Asparagus May be held
Month or Longer

As the growing OF asparagus is
,..omirg one of the leading indus
.r;es Of this community it is being
sndied in all its phases. Varieties,
mltural methods, harvesting and
saudardizing have been given con-
,Herable attention. AS the product
/ highly perishable it is important
hat special care be exercised in
Is treatment from patch to mar
RI. as upon its condition at des-
nation depends the price that will
! received by the producer.
As most of the grass grown here
must of necessity be shipped long
dstances to market the question
i proper preceding before load
mo becomes a factor Of prime i'm
uortance.
Experiments to determine the
moper treatment have been car
lied on at the Big Y for the past
four years and it has been found
b present greater difficulties to
overcome than any other commod-
ity handled. Discussing the re-
suits of these experiments Manag-
r H. w. Desgranges said: Gas
the weather is usually quite warm
at cutting time, grass comes in at
4 very high temperature. Attempt
ing to reduce this quickly as is
done with fruit, it was found that
grass would show frost damage
before the thermometer would
reach the freezing point by sew
eral degrees.
AS the stalks are not of uniform
size the small ones will show the
effect of over-cooling before the
larger ones are cooled. This re-
quires that the room be held at
4 higher temperature, thus re-
curing a greater length of time
70 draw out the heat. If hot grass
Is placed in room equipped with
direct refrigeration and a sharp
temperature maintained as is u.s.
nal with other fruits, the grass
will sweat profusely. These juices
will collect in the pack and pro-
sesses of fermentation soon de-
Velop resulting in early decay. On
the other hand, if cold air only is
used (the Big Y plant preceding
rooms are equipped with both pro-
cesses) the small stalks soon show
the effect of wilt.
This brings the grass In about
the same position as apples: You
be damned if you don't and yor
be damned if you do 1t has beer
discovered, however, that by using
! small amount of air, sufficient
d take up the moisture but not
to cause wilt and depending on the
direct refrigeration to do the cool
ing that grass can be held for 9
considerable length of time.
"Test boxes placed in storage
and given /the outlined treatment
vs-e examined daily showing M
riation fop a period of three
ks. At the end of the fourth
the small stalks began tt
and some decay made its ap
ance. A box taken out proved
u be 80 percent edible. When thu
market broke suddenly last spring
we found ourselves with a CARLOAD
Of grass on hand. This was placet
in storage and held for eight days
loaded out under freight service
and sold in Chicago and delivery
made without question as to con
dition.
''The experience of the past sea
son gives reasonable assurance
that grass can be held in storage
for two weeks and allow for time
to get to market and be delivered
in good condition. As the markets
break sharply every year and the'
recover as the growers stop cut
ting, it will be possible by storing
to avoid sacrificing this part O.
our cronS.0