The Republic from Columbus, Indiana • Page 12

Second Watfure B2 The Republic Columbus. Sunday. January 16, 1994 I 1 Call with rommentsnews tips: JOE GILL, 379-5674 3 Asparagus a tasly spring treat 15 Farmer John Outdoors By John McMahan OPINION seeds (if you buy them) will be $2 to $3. If you use plants, cost will be four or five times gr" ter in money and labor. In eith case, the result will be a lifetime of asparagus.

This is a literal statement be' cause any planting of asparagus can last a human lifetime without trouble. If you have a moderate two- to, three-mess per year appetite, 10 plants probably will be enough. But if you really like this vegetable, you may need 25 to 50 plants. The old, reliable variety is Mary' Washington. A new, all-male variety reported to yield much more heavily because there are no seed-bearing female plants is Jersey Knight I've grown a lot of Mary Washington and I can vouch for its hardiness and productivity.

I have no personal experience with Jersey Knight I jm m. With the exception of wild dandelions and winter cress and Jhe herbs chives and garlic, nothing grows to edible size earlier in the spring than asparagus. For people who like this vegetable, finding those first spears of the new year can be as rewarding as coming home with a sackful of morels. I can remember hunting for asparagus when I was just a youngster, of 5 or 6. The farm -where we lived had three or four spots where asparagus came up along the fence rows, and I would watch those locations daily when the time for asparagus to grow drew near.

By the time it actually came up, I'd have a path worn bare coming and going. When it did come up at last and I was able to pick a few spears, I'd be as excited as if I'd gathered a bushel. When I went to the house, my mother would go along with my excitement and cook my find on the spot, evlh if it only amounted to two or three spears. Then I'-d eat it immediately, thinking that nothing in the world was quite so fine as creamed asparagus. For several years I continued seeds and with seeds I gathered.

All four methods work out quite well in growing a fine patch of asparagus. The easiest and cheapest, however, is to start with seeds. They can be either wild or commercial. It takes about two years longer to reach edible-sized spears with seeds, but the savings in money and labor are well worth the extra wait At this point in my life I think back and wish someone had bought me a few dollars worth of seeds when I was 6 years old. by the time I was 9, I would've had lots of asparagus instead of a yearly harvest so meager I easily could have counted the spears.

That's definitely not the case now. I'm sure I let more go to waste nowadays than I used to find. Suffice to say I eat more in the first mess now than I used to find the whole season. People who like asparagus should grow their own. Quantity will be so much greater jt isn't even comparable and cost will be so low you'll feel like eating all you want The cost of making a start with in this same vein, hunting asparagus as a wild food, and enjoying every bite I could find.

Eventually I grew up. About the same time I began to wonder why .1 continued to be content with the small amounts I was bringing home each year. I'd always known asparagus as a domestic vegetable and a wild one, so I decided to try to grow it in my garden. I immediately found asparagus is very easy to grow. Actually, it's hard to kill it out I should have known this by having sen the vigorous way it grows in the wild.

But I hadn't taken the time to think about that I tried starting asparagus in all the ways possible with wild plants I dug and reset, with commercial plants bought from nursery houses, with commercial Bartholomew County Humane Society photos Maggie and Joel Among the animals for adoption this week from the Bartholomew County Humane Society are Maggie, left, a bearded collie mix about 8 months old, and Joel, a 4-month-old labrador mix. They are playful and would make good family pets. Interested people may call the shelter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at 372-6063.

Farmer John McMahan writes weekly column for. The Republic. Correspondence can be addressed to The Republic, 333 Second Columbus, IN 47201.. Winter in Indiana ideal time to read about wildlife Whether you are or ever were interested in fishing, this volume rm ii Bird Lady By Hellen Ochs OPINION UJ waciyr essays win give you that many laughs based on every- day life, especially outdoor life. Some of the episodes are presented by the sharp, clever dialogue by characters sucn as Barry Bushrack, Harvey Moat Rosebud Hornripple, Hiram Hackwood and Achish Feather- published and more than 800 articles on a number of subjects.

He is an experienced out-doorsman, educator, sports broadcaster and a field archaeologist His books have won awards, and in 1986 he was named the "Outdoor Writer of the Year" by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Local book and tackle stores have this book on sale for $7.95, or people may write to Pinegrove Publishing, Box 557, Winona Lake, IN 46590-0557. Phone orders at (800)345-0096. There isn't a better time in the year to read in Indiana than January and February, nor is there a better time to plan vacations and summer activities across the United States. Get a copy of the book "Guide to the National Wildlife Refuges" by Laura and William Riley.

Roger Caras says this book is "the best possible introduction to wild places and wild things" and ''is the key to things that really matter in America." When I received this book, and since it is indexed by states, I quickly turned to the chapters on Indiana, Florida and Pennsylvania. These are the places I plan to bird this year. I found these chapters delightful and informative. Naturally, the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is mentioned first in Indiana. I can't list all the birds possible to see here, but in this book is a vivid description of the wood duck.

It belt With the background of a small town in northern Indiana, the writer tells of things that take place on the water, in the wilderness, and in a cigar store where the men hang out Fishermen and hunters' experiences are often related and their language seems to be a specialty of outdoor people. Davis, the author, is a well known writer. He has 14 books kinds of reptiles, more than 200 species of fish and an uncounted number of plants." Every home should have a copy of this 684-page book. The price is $16. How many times have you gone on vacation or a trip and missed many exciting, fascinating places and things en route? Another book perfect for winter reading is "Real Fishermen Never Lie," by John Davis.

description of the refuge's wildlife that can be seen there, how to get there, times the refuge is open, the best time to visit what to see, what to do, where to stay and what to take and wear. Also described are points of interest nearby and where to write or call for more information. Not only is this a guide book, but you will find it is a literary tour of the natural history of America. It tells us "these refuges cover 91 million acres and provide for and protect over 220 species of mammals, 600 million birds, 250 makes one long for spring. The wood duck is called by Audubon "this most beautiful bird whose multi-hued plumage of scarlet purple, green and gold always afford pleasure to the "viewer." The Muscatatuck, a refuge with bottom land stands of sweet gum, sycamore and river birch, upland fields and woods of tulip, beech, maple and oak, is a home to a variety of wildlife.

This book covers the refuges "and wildlife areas of the United States. Each state listed gives a The Bird Lady Hellen Ochs appears every Sunday. She can be reached by mail at The Bird Lady clo The Republic, 333 Second Columbus, IN 47201. ir CPCDS7 00 tfdlQ to a i i ii is-wi I I 'f Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana RFGfSTERED MARKS OF THE BLUE CROSS A NO BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION A PRODUCT UNDERWRITTEN BY ASSOCIATED INSURANCE COMPANIES. INC.

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