ASPARAGUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 8

ASPARAGUS.

We have often wondered (says an American paper) why city people as a rule will buy the •bunches of bleached asparagus, when that ■which is green in colour is so much better. The same practice prevails abroad. A wrilrr in the Garden, of London, England, says that *' the enormous white growths produced by the French command the highest price. Why this should be so is difficult to understand, -.., seeing that there is far more eatable in a 'bunch of good English grown than in half a dozen bunches of this giant French, as nine- - "tenths" of the latter finds its way into the "waste tub. . . . French asparagus may do •where it is- only sent to the table to be looked at. but where it is intended to be calen, then the English is far preferable." The habit of growing blanched asparagus came to us i'rom abroad, but we -find that there is auaiually a tendency among city buyers to get "the green-stemmed article as they learn its superiority. If our market gardeners ara wise they will cater to this tendency and produce asparagus that can be ealeir'jnslead of the hard, tough, bleached stems. City market buyers aro prone to buy by looks rather than quality, and asparagus is not the only vegetable they err in buying in this way. They will buy Hie xlark red Egyptian beet rather than the Bas6ano, simply because they want a dark red beet, while the Baesano is incomparably bellr-r in quality than the Egyptian. They will pay an extra price for * the big Montreal musk melons simply because they arc big, and will pass by the little Nutmegs that are far ■better. They will buy a big field pumpkin to cook, when the Winter squash is far superior, and will take the showy Ben Davis apples when better ones can ho had that do not look so pretty. There is a good deal of missionary work to be done among tho city people to teach them the value of qualityabove looks and size. . Of course, a market gardener and fruitgrower must cater to the demand and grow the things that are called for, but we feel certain there are in all our large towns people of real taste who would feoon find out the man who would produce the things they -look for in vegetables and fruits. The man who once buys a bunch of /tender asparagus will -feel inclined to pass by the white willow sticks in the future, and in tho same way 4:he taste for the better qua4ity of the other things may be extended.

The Dunedin Horticultural Society's rose fehow will be held on Wednesday, 20th inst. This year the summer show should excel any .which has yet been held in Dunedin. Tho .weather has on the whole been favourable, and there are now so many who take an interest in amateur gardening that the entries

should be numerous. There is a special competition for ladies, and prizes are also offered for table decorations.

A Dunedin firm has made contracts whereby it secures the supply of 80 tons of rasp-1-errics from the Nelson district this season.