A SELF-SUPPORTING HOME 



free from weeds, and onions well earthed up 

 to the roots. 



Toward the end of the month suspend 

 small looking-glasses here and there in the 

 cherry trees, from a piece of string about a foot 

 long, so that they will turn and twist with 

 every breath of wind. They can be bought 

 for 5 cents each, and the perpetually chang- 

 ing reflections scare the birds away and save 

 many pounds of fruit. 



If there is no asparagus bed on the farm, 

 now is the time to rectify the neglect. Fifty 

 feet by seventeen will be about enough. 

 Trenches three feet deep should be dug 

 every three feet, a layer of manure a foot 

 deep placed at the bottom, part of the earth 

 returned, another layer of manure, the 

 whole to be well mixed and thoroughly pul- 

 verized. In fact, the trenches should be 

 prepared as for sweet-peas. Fill the trenches 

 to within six inches of the top, seed, and 

 cover to the depth of four inches. When 

 the young plants are two or three inches 



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