Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-04-03
GQlOreestrr QaiIp spp,
HINTS Or THE GARDEN.

We suppose that all our readers who have
any land, have already garden on that land.
We hope none of them have such one as a
speaker once described "a Place back. of the
house where dish-water is iI@wn.; where a
few hills potatoes grow and several hundred
-pigweeds." A good garden well filled is a
"well spring of p easure" to all who see it and
partake of its bounties. We propose giving
our readers a few hints which we have picked
up III various quarters, concerning the cultiva-
ton Of asparagus, tomatoes and rhubarb,
three common vegetables, but capable Of be-
ing made uncommon good by little care.
First, an asparagus bed ought to be a prime
necessity i'll every well-regulated garden. 1t
is III eating order at a season of the year when
green things are both a necessity of health
and luxury. The American Agriculturist
gives the most practical and easily followed
directions for making an asparagus bed that
we have seen, and therefore we quote;
"a large family dish of fresh home grown
asparagus is certainly worth II cents at the
very lowest estimate. This, on every other
day for two months, amounts to So 80, which
is equal to good interest on $50. But a cap
ita bed of asparagus, large enough for any
family, will not cost So, preparation, manure
and labor included. Figures wont lie. Some
of the newspaper directions" make the pre-
paration OF an asparagus bed aborious and
10y more than one trial. The following is all
that is ordinarily needed Select fair soil
not too Ravy-where it will not be necessary
to disturb it by blowing. The size may vary
from one square rod to four. An old bed 20
feet square supplies our large household, and
some TO spare Spade the ground Is inches
deep, digging in coating of four to six inches
OF stable manure. No matter bow many
bones, old shoes, rags, etc, find their way TO
tile bottom Rake the surface and the bed is
ready. Get from nursery man some two
year old roots; they cost rs cents to 81 per
hundred. Plant these about one foot apart each
way, covering the crown or head of each, say
four inches below the surface. Smooth off the
bed, and it is ready to be drawn for half a
century, more or less. If made in autumn, it
will yield very well a year from the spring
following, and grows better as It grows older.
If roots can be obtained, ii will save a year or
two in time, but any one may raise the roots
from seed sown in spring on a warm dry bed
Of soil, and transplant the roots in autumn Of
the next year. In autumn it is well to spread
two to five inches of manure over the aspara
gus bed and spade it very early in the sprug"
1t is perhaps rather early in the season Tor
directions about tomatoes, but if they are de-
sirable they will keep till wanted We have
been somewhat familiar with the shortening in
process, and have thought favorable OF its eff
feet on the yield But the French gardeners
carrying the REFRESHING much farther than
American. Their method is this
Gas soon as the cluster of flowers is visible
they top the stem down to the cluster so that
the flower terminates the stem. The effect is
that sap is Immediately impeIled into the two
buds next before the cluster, which push
strongly, and presently produce another clus
ter Of flowers each. The moment these are
visible, the branch to which they belong is also
topped down to their level; and this is done
five times successfully. The effect is to form
stout dwarf bushes, not above eighteen inches
high. In order to prevent their falling over,
strings are stretched horizontally along the
rows, so as to keep the plants tolerably up
right In addition to this, all laterais are nip
ped of. In this way the ripe sap is directed
into the fruit, which acquires a beauty, size,
and excellence, unattainabe by other means ;
fourteen pounds Of ripe tomatoes per plant is
no very unusual produce, even sixteen pounds
being known"
Rnubarb is easily propagated, and will live
on very little encouragement. But it shows
good care as much as ANYTHING else. OF the
various kinds in the market, we prefer some
thing between the large and the diminutve
a wide difference exists in the acidity of diff
ferent varieties. five knew precisely the best
kind we should "make Il note" of it here
Barrels placed over the roots of rhubarb will
hasten its growth from two to three weeks,
and if there be added a mixture of leaves and
stable manure in the fall, the young shoots
will astonish the natives in the spring by their
precoclous appearance and fine qualify.