GARDEN VEGETABLES — ASPARAGUS. 509 



some localities, and these are in a western exposure, bore well, but, as a general 

 thing, trees are sparsely filled ; pears produce the best of any of the fore-men- 

 tioned crops, and show their power of enduring a severe winter ; grape-vines are 

 well loaded, but, like Indian corn, the fruit needs a warm turn to give them 

 maturity. 



Gooseberries. — A slovenly accident has shown us, the past season, how to avoid 

 the mildew. A favorite seedling bush, which gave us a fair-sized, delicious fruit, 

 had, for some three or four seasons, like its transatlantic ancestors, been subjected 

 to mildew, by some neglect, was left to take care of itself. In consequence, the 

 tall grass entered its claim to the soil by virtue of squatter sovereignty, and usurped 

 not only the soil, but the sunshine ! Early in August, the bush was well laden 

 with fine fruit, untainted by its former enemy. Now, grass around a gooseberry 

 *bush is a very unpleasant, slovenly object, and the mildew is a vexatious evil ; of 

 the two, however, we prefer the grass and the gooseberries. 



Since we are upon this subject, we cannot but say a commendatory word in 

 favor of the " Mountain Seedling," a variety originated by the United Society at 

 New Lebanon, N. Y. "We have for several years had it under culture, and, in our 

 experience, it is a firm, hardy grower, the bash attaining a large size, very healthy ; 

 an autumnal and abundant bearer, and the fruit (which is a good-sized fruit) quite 

 eatable, good for cooking and preserves, we have never known to mildew. For 

 every purpose, it is far superior te Houghton's Seedling, which, with us, mildews 

 as badly as any other variety, and has long ago been excluded from the garden. 

 P. S, — Melons and tomatoes have been an entire failure here. 



GARDEN VEGETABLES, NO. 1 1. — A S P A R A G U S. 



BY WM. CeORLTON. 



This justly esteemed vegetable has been in use, in Europe, from time immemo- 

 rial, and is now seen in our own markets in the greatest abundance. In some 

 instances, the cultivation is well understood ; but still, there is need of improve- 

 ment. This must be acknowledged from the fact of the stalks having, in some 

 instances, been grown over an inch in diameter, weighing more than four ounces 

 each. 



Asparagus is the ancient Greek name of this plant ; it is the Asparagus offici- 

 nalis of botanists, and has now become so much at home on this Western conti- 

 nent as to be fairly claimed as indigenous. Most probably, it is truly aboriginal 

 on the steppes of Southern Russia and Poland, where it grows so abundantly 

 (though of a diminutive size) as to constitute a considerable part of the food of 

 the horses and oxen in those regions. It is also to be met with on the sea-shores 

 of Britain, aud other parts of Europe, though sparsely, and most likely has only 

 become naturalized there at a more remote period than with us. The medical 

 properties of Asparagus are not very powerful ; but it is certainly an active 

 diuretic, and of great service in obstructions of the urinary organs. This fact is 

 now being applied to advantage by the medical profession, and a substance called 

 Asparagene extracted, which is found to be a convenient director of other medi- 

 cines. It is also considered to be antiscorbutic, and, no doubt, is so on the above- 

 named principle. 



There is no plant that is cultivated as a kitchen esculent that will accept of more 

 salt without injury than this, which fact I tested somewhat extremely, some years 

 Wishing to destroy two worn-out beds that had been in bearing some ten 



twelve years, and had become worthless, as an experiment, I covered them fully 



