H. BOTANY AND HORTICULTURE. 303 



derive its nourishment from a great depth, and the plants 

 often become too deeply imbedded when the thick substratum 

 of manure collapses by rotting. The preference often given 

 to old plants, in making selections for a new bed, was also 

 considered a mistake. Plants become sickly and less vigor- 

 ous in the seed-bed, so as to be much more sensitive to the 

 change in transplanting. Southern exposure, shelter from 

 cold winds, a porous soil, and the total absence of trees, were 

 recommended as essential conditions to the highest success. 

 The soil is to be turned to the depth of from two to three 

 feet, and then manured to the depth of one foot. This is 

 most conveniently done in autumn, during dry weather. 

 Spring is the best time for planting, and the best direction 

 of the trenches for the reception of the plants is from north 

 to south. The earth taken from the trenches is " walled up," 

 as it is termed, between the rows, and upon these other vege- 

 tables may be cultivated while the asparagus bed is young, 

 but they are eventually absorbed in filling up the ditch 

 around and between the plants. Well-rotted manure, or 

 suitable compost, is combined with the earth of the walls for 

 this purpose. Besides giving constant attention to stirring 

 the soil and weeding, the young plants need to be watered 

 regularly whenever the state of the weather requires it. 10 

 (7,1871,28. 



PROPAGATION OF THE GRAPE BY EYES. 



A German agricultural journal informs us that the grape- 

 vine can be propagated by means of eyes, so as to save three 

 years' time in the growth, each eye furnishing a new shoot. 

 Each grape-vine will furnish as. many shoots as it has sound 

 eyes, and they are to be cut off about a quarter of an inch 

 from the eye on each side, so as to leave a cylinder of wood 

 about half an inch long, with the eye in the centre. If pre- 

 pared in the autumn, these eyes may be put in a cellar in 

 winter. In April they are to be laid down at a depth of two 

 or three inches in furrows about six inches apart, and covered 

 with a little manure, watered in dry weather, and the earth 

 about them occasionally loosened. 9 C, February, 1870, 12. 



