528 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



of raspberries in antumii will have somethinij of 

 the a{)pearance represented in fig. 58; the arched 

 portion, tied to the stake in the centre, being the 

 canes which bore fruit last year, and which must 

 be cut down to the bottom, and be replaced by 

 the upright shoots of last summer, trained in a 

 similar manner to tliose represented in iig. 57. 

 Gard. Chron. .... 



Eight Conservatory Climbers. — 1. Combre- 

 turn purpureum, or, as it is now called, Puiorea 

 coccinea, a half shrubby plant, with oval leaves, 

 and branching spikes of scarlet flowers, with con- 

 spicuous stamens; it will flower all the summer 

 V>y stopping the strongest shoots occasionally. 2. 

 Echites suberecta, a beautiful yellow flowering- 

 plant, which has generally been grown in tlie 

 stove, but will answer \vell for the conservatory 

 by spur-pruning, like the viae ; it is a very strong 

 grower. 3. 7/)omtEa f/ors/iiZ/iVe, a splendid plant, 

 with deeply lobed leaves, and bunches of crimson 

 blossoms; should have a warm close position. 4. 

 Mandevilla suaveolens, a A^ery fine grower, with 

 hairy oval leaves, and bunches of white deliciously 

 fragrant flowers. 5. Passijlora racemosa, a splen- 

 did crimson passion-flower, which will flower freely 

 nearly the whole year ; docs best grafted upon one 

 of the hardier sorts. 6. Plumbago capensis, an 

 easily grown plant, with long slender stems, 

 btuntish leaves, and good sized bunches of pale 

 blue flowers ; may be had in bloom from April to 

 November, by cutting back some of the strongest 

 shoots in summer. 7. Stephaaotis Jio rib undo,, a 

 beautiful evergreen plant, with dark green shining 

 blunt oval leaves, and bunches of white deliciously 

 scented blossoms; it is a splendid thing M'hen 

 planted out in a conservatory border, and grows 

 very fast. 8. Tecoma jasminoides, a very free 

 flowerer upon the young wood from July to the 

 end of Oi-tober; it has much divided leaves, and 

 bunches of white flowers, with a crimson centre. 

 London Hort. Magazine. 



Asparagus Beds. — How common it is to see a 

 large portion of a kitchen-garden devoted to as- 

 paragus, and yet when you congratulate the owner 

 on the advantages you presume he possesses witli 

 his lamb-chops in spring, he tells you his beds are 

 worn out. I once came into possession of a bed 

 which had this character of decrepitude, and suc- 

 ceeded in making it very prolific, and I have no 

 doubt others may do the same. 



As it is true in gardening, as well as in philo- 

 sophy, that ex nihili nihil fit, you must take care 

 that your asparagus bed is well supplied with 

 plants, before you proceed to a treatment which 

 will make the plants robust and productive. 

 Sometimes there are gaps of several square feet, 

 or the plants are thinly spread over the whole 

 bed. Rectify this as soon as you can, by mark- 

 ing, in the growing season, all such vacancies, 

 and filling them up in the autumn or the spring. 

 About nine inches apart is a good average dis- 

 tance, although probably a foot would secure a 



larger product. Having secured a good plant, as 

 agriculturists express it, the next thing is to make 

 it vigorous. Lay down this rule as having no 

 exception — that if your beds haA^o not a vigorou.s 

 growth in the summer, you will look in vain for 

 line asparagus in spring. As the succulent shoots 

 proceed from the buried root, their size must be 

 in direct proportion to the healthfulness of that 

 root, or to the quantity of organisable matter that 

 root has stored up. How, then, can the root be 

 brought into a proper state for producing large 

 shoots? By giving every advantage to the plant 

 during the summer and autumn: so that if your 

 bods this summer are covered with a tall and 

 strong vegetation, the abundance of solar light, 

 &c., will convey a proper supply of matter to the 

 root for next season, and you will cut fine asgara- 

 gus; but, on the other hand, if there appears only 

 a stunted and weak growth, your produce will be 

 small. 



If the principle just laid down is correct, the 

 mode of treatment must cousist in judicious cut- 

 ting, and tlie application of proper manure. I 

 know many beds which have been ruined almost 

 by an unsparing cropping, and in cases where 

 tliere has been no deficiency of manure. If the 

 bed has been injured in this way, or if from any 

 cause the shoots appear thin and spindling, do not 

 cut them at all, but let the bed have a rest during 

 a whole season. The next spring the adA^antage 

 will be manifest. Nothing would tend more to 

 bring exhausted beds round than this generous 

 treatment, and by the sacrifice of a few dishes 

 now, you Avill secure an abundance next year. 

 What is true of a whole bed applies also to indi- 

 vidual plants. I alwa3''s leave the weak shoots in 

 the beds, on the presumption that by cutting 

 them tliey will become weaker, but that they will 

 make robust shoots by being allowed to grow and 

 bask in the air and the sun. My remarks also 

 lead to another practical conclusion — to leave off 

 cutting in time. Fine shoots must not be looked 

 at with a longiug eye, as though it were waste 

 to let them run to branches and flowers. They 

 are the parents of a future race, and ought to be 

 kindly and respectfully treated. 



Manure must be plentifully given in conjunc- 

 tion with the above mode of treatment. It should 

 be applied at such times that the growing plant 

 may receive the benefit. It is possible for a top- 

 dressing put on in autumn to have all its valuable 

 properties washed below the reach of the roots, 

 before they begin to exercise their A'^ital powers. 

 However, cover the beds with good dung in au- 

 tumn, but do not neglect to furnish a fresh supply 

 in spring. Salt and liquid manure should be used 

 at tlie latter perioil, as they become immediately 

 available. I have just dressed my beds in the 

 following manner, and it is not too late for others 

 to adopt the plan. I coA'ered them with salt, so 

 that on a dry day the whole surface looked as 

 though it had been snowing ; they were then 

 watered with about 60 gallons of liquid manure, 



