i88i.l THE LATE WINTER. 329 



nature of the soil, and more especially the subsoil. If it be clayey 

 and retentive, drainage is of the first importance, and must be effici- 

 ently performed, or Asparagus will not last long in good condition on 

 it. If the soil be poor, shallow, and gravelly, it is necessary to success 

 that the staple be deepened with light loamy soil and manure, or the 

 crops will be poor indeed. Anything like good crops need not be 

 looked for unless the staple be at least 18 inches deep ; and if it con- 

 sists of good loamy soil, and about a fourth of the whole of well-rotted 

 manure, all the better. The whole should be thoroughly well mixed, 

 and placed in the beds a few months before planting-time, so that 

 it subsides gradually. Some plant in single rows, others in beds ; 

 and, all other things being equal, there is not much difference in the 

 result. I have seen excellent Asparagus grown in 5-feet beds, having 

 18-inch paths between. In these beds six lines of plants were planted. 

 Instead of laying the roots on the surface, and covering with the soil 

 out of the paths, or artificial soil, I prefer making a little trench for 

 each line, and letting the roots in rather deeply ; for if a dry time 

 occurs after planting, they are not so likely to suffer from drought, and 

 the plants sown throw out fresh roots nearer the surface. If a 

 mulching of manure can be laid on the surface of the bed, it is a 

 great help to the young plants ; but if this cannot be afforded, short 

 grass will act as a conservative of moisture. When they have just 

 begun to push their buds is the best time to plant, and this is gener- 

 ally in April. Throughout the summer a good soaking of liquid 

 manure at intervals will greatly assist them ; and if all goes w^ell, they 

 will make strong growth and mature good crowns that will the fol- 

 lowing year produce strong grass which, the third year, will be fit to 

 cut freely for use. The main points of culture in after years consist 

 in preventing the tops from being damaged by high winds, and in giv- 

 ing liberal top-dressings of rich manure, and keeping the beds quite 

 free from weeds. G, Dawson. 



THE LATE WINTER. 



There seems some incongruity in writing on such a subject at this 

 time, but when we see 5^ of frost registered on a morning in June, 

 as we have this morning (10th), it is rather apt to set us ponder- 

 ing on all we have experienced during this last winter. A winter last- 

 ing from the 19th October till the 20th of April — the dates of our first 

 and last snowstorms — with the thermometer on several occasions dur- 

 ing that time falling many degrees below zero, we are bound to con- 

 sider a rather severe and exceptional one. 



We were beginning to think we had seen the last of it, and more 

 especially with such a continuance of extraordinarily hot dry weather 

 as we have had lately, and had almost considered it as a thing of the 



