1879. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



237 



ASPARAGUS 



TRY FOR BETTER 

 FROM SEED. 



KINDS 



BY GEN. WM. II. NOBLE, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. 



There is a future for aspai-agus as sure of re- 

 ward to our effort as by its food supply. That 

 lies in the search for better kinds. The Cono- 

 ver's is the first well defined heralded advance 

 from the old sorts. To be sure the nurserymen 

 always advertised giant asparagus. But this did 

 not tell of a new kind; it only meant possible 

 stature and stoutness by right feeding. In fact 

 till the Conover's, those who taught us, like the 

 Monthly, the bottom creed in horticulture, 

 often laid it down that there was but one kind, 

 that the giant came by high culture ; they were 

 pretty near the truth, but not quite. I have 

 been for years, before the Conover, sure that 

 there were two kinds, of quite unlike traits and 

 looks. The old blue nose, blue top and stalk, 

 and another variety with pea green heads and 

 stems. This latter I always thought more 

 thrift}', more succulent and tender and of higher 

 flavor. 



I had the kind seeding itself at random for 

 years before the Conover gained its place and 

 name. I think the Conover an offspring of 

 that variety. But why stop at Conover ? Why 

 not follow up the well proved laws of develop- 

 ment in search for still better kinds, kinds more 

 thrifty, higher flavored and tenderer? The way 

 thereto is through seeding and choice and trial. 

 If Conover's one lucky chance plant put its 

 boasted lift so high above the old sorts, we have 

 a right to look for higher promise and fulfilment 

 through many generations of its seed. No mat- 

 ter how rounded in all its points of excellence 

 a growing thing may be, its goodness is no war- 

 rant for its saying " after me the deluge." Care- 

 ful trial may yet reach a race of colossals, who 

 in the ascent from like to likeliest will swell the 

 asparagus to equal the bigness and stature of a 

 banana. Why not if we accept the creed of 

 evolution? What thoughtful and patient trial 

 has done for fruits and vegetables it may per- 

 haps do for the asparagus. We all remember 

 how year by year the old love apple tomato, 

 about as bereft of meat and flesh and pulpy ten- 

 derness as a pepper, has grown through its 

 generations into the smooth, tender, full, solid- 

 fleshed, high-flavored fruit that to-day delights 

 us. There is like hope and high promise for all 

 that grows in the garden from like effort. Then, 

 too, if not millions, there is money in it to all 

 whose thoughtful trial brinsjs a fine fruit to the 



orchard or a fine vegetable to our garden. But 

 of late a pest has attacked the asparagus here- 

 abouts. It is a small greenish worm that changes 

 into a fly or beetle of the same tint. This comes 

 on about the season of its latter growth and 

 holds along well toward midsummer, ruining 

 the plant. I think too in some way it attacks 

 and eats out the pith and substance of the root. 

 What is the remedy? 



JAPAN PERSIMMON. 



BY H. F. H., LEXINGTON, KY. ' 



I am glad of the information in the Monthly 

 about Japan Persimmons. They are certainly a 

 failure. Trees planted here last Fall are dead 

 mostly, Winter-killed root and branch. The 

 sooner the public are aware of the unhardy char- 

 acter of the tree the better. Agents will sell at 

 least one thousand dollars worth of the stock ' 

 in this country this season, from which unad- 

 vised purchasers are not likely ever to realize 

 aught but disappointment. 



INARCHING GRAPE VINES. 



BY T. T. SOUTHWICK, ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



A vagrant vine of Isabella that came stray- 

 ing over to a trellis by which I had recently 

 planted some vines, entwined a vine of feeble 

 habit, and thus suggested to my mind the idea 

 of joining the robust and well established vine 

 with the weak one. As soon as the vines were 

 about ready to enter mid-summer rest, or were 

 through active growth, I carried the idea out by 

 cutting from each vine a thin slice of corres- 

 ponding size and binding the cut surfaces to- 

 gether. The union was prompt and solid. I 

 make this note not to announce anything new, 

 but to suggest to those who have vines they do 

 not desire to keep, and who want to start young 

 and feeble vines into quick growth, that graft- 

 ing grape vines is a ver}'^ simple operation if 

 done when the sap is thi(;k or as growth has 

 about ceased. 



REMEDY FOR THE COLORADO BEETLE. 



BY A. H., MEADVILLE, PA.- 



I do not know if among the many things you 

 cultivate you include the growing of potatoes. 

 But if you do I would like to suggest among the 

 remedies for the Colorado beetle the use of ker- 

 osene. I do not think it could be used success- 

 fully by sprinkling diluted with water; but if 

 some kerosene be carried in a small open vessel, 



