Cut the white part of the stalks off, and throw it away--cut the lower
part of the stalks in thin slices if tough, and boil them eight or ten
minutes before the upper part is put in. Lay the remainder compactly
together, tie it carefully in small bundles, and boil it from fifteen to
twenty minutes, according to its age. Boil a little salt with them, and
a quarter of a tea spoonful of saleratus, to two or three quarts of
water, to preserve their fresh green color. Just before your asparagus
is done, toast a slice of bread, moisten it with a little of the
asparagus liquor, lay it in your asparagus dish, and butter it--then
take up the asparagus carefully with a skimmer, and lay it on the toast,
take off the string, salt it, and turn a little melted butter over the
whole.