140 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



when green peas arc preferred in the market. The surface is then thoroughly 

 harrowed over, and afterwards the cultivator used between the rows a few times 

 till the " grass " is too thick. 



Cutting for market must be done every day in warm weather, and if you 

 wish to rest on Sunday you will have to cut twice on Saturday. Various kinds 

 of knives are in use for cutting, but I have never seen anything better than a 

 common butcher's blade, ground sharp and filed near the point with six saw 

 teeth. This tool will cut for two hours without sharpening, and injures few of 

 the underground buds. 



A man in cutting usually takes two rows, laying down each handful as he 

 goes along, and a boy follows with a wheel barrow and barrel or box to pick it 

 up. It is a tedious job to cut and bunch it, though not severely hard work. 



The[grass when it comes in from the field, is usually at once dumped into 

 a tub of water, and washed, if dirty, or, if dry, bunched at once ; the stems can 

 be tied tighter when it is slightly wilted. 



Fig. 752. 



Fk:. 753. 



Much depends upon the skill of the buncher in making attractive bunches 

 and tying tightly, so as to make no trouble with loose bunches. A small frame 

 is used for gauging the proper size of the bunches, the butts being trimmed off 

 square after tying. Boston market bunches are of size that three dozen just fill 

 the ordinary bushel box full. 



The Asparagus buncher is shown in Fig. 752 and Fig. 753 ; engravings copied 

 from Robinson's " Parks and Gardens of Paris." 



A California Enterprise. — The California State Board of Horticulture 

 has recently imported parasites to destroy the fruit-pest known as the white 

 cottony cushion-scale. They survived the long voyage, and are now said to be 

 thriving in their new home, in San Mateo County. — The Garden. 



