2o8 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



f 



made moderately rich ; a vigorous plant is carefully set out so that its crown 

 will be about four inches below the surface-level ; weeds are kept down by 

 shallow surface cultivation, and in the fall, after the tops are fully matured and 

 dead, the surface for a circle of five feet in diameter is covered with rich and 

 well-rotted manure. As early in the spring as possible this manure is well-forked 

 into the surface, and the starting weeds kept down by shallow hoeing until the 

 plant has made sufficient growth to take care of itself. The third season the 

 treatment is the same as in the second, especial care being taken to take out any 

 seedling asparagus plants which may spring up, they being treated as the worst 

 of weeds. The fourth season the harvest commences, though if the plants have 

 made a good growth a few cuttings are made the third year, but it is considered 

 a better practice to wait until the fourth, in order that the plants may become 

 well established. The manure is spaded in as early in the season as possible, 

 and as soon as the first shoots appear at the surface the soil is heaped over the 

 crown of the plant in a mound about a foot high, which serves to blanch the 

 growing shoots. In gathering, the shoots are broken as far as possible below 

 the surface. The covering soil being friable from its abundant manuring enables 

 one to secure much longer shoots than if it were level. Care is taken to remove 

 all the shoots at each picking and not to prolong the season far into the hot 

 weather, so that the plants may have a chance to make a good growth in prepar- 

 ation for the next season's crop. At the close of the season the mound of 

 earth is levelled with the surface, and about two quarts of fresh wood-ashes and 

 a handful of salt are scattered about each plant and hoed into the surface. The 

 treatment given the fourth year is repeated, and the shoots gain in number and 

 size as the plant increases in age. — Garden and Forest. 



THE FRUIT HOUSE. 



FRUIT house entirely above ground can be put up at not a very 

 large cost, in which an even temperature can be maintained, and 

 which will keep out the frost, as follows : Prepare a good tight 

 foundation of stone for the building. Use 2x4 inch studding 

 for the sides. The sides should be about eight feet high. Sheath 

 on the outside of the studding with inch lumber, and cover this with building 

 paper, and then on the outside of this with another course of studding, sheath- 

 ing and building paper. Do this until the wall has three air spaces. The roof 

 is constructed the same way to protect from heat as well as frost. The writer 

 has recently constructed a cellar and fruit house over it, as follows : The floor 

 between the cellar and the fruit room above is laid with 2x8 joists, sealed 

 above and below with inch boards. The space between is filled with sawdust. 

 The studding for the sides are 2x6, eight feet high. Outside it is sheathed 

 lengthwise with inch lumber, and on this a layer of building paper. Then comes 



