282 APRIL. 



moister soil for the main crop. Of course the 

 earliest would bring, in most places, by far the. 

 largest price. But I find that in my local 

 market the fluctuations of price are not very 

 great. I cannot, to any extent, reach the New 

 York fancy retail mark, even for articles sold 

 in this way, nor do they often fall below a fair 

 paying return. I am well satisfied that a large 

 bed of asparagus would give a profitable crop 

 that could be depended on every year. One 

 naturally hesitates in putting out a crop of 

 this character on leased ground. It is the same 

 as setting out grape-vines, and you cannot 

 expect much return before the third year. And 

 yet I have done this, believing that but one or 

 two crops ^f so fine a vegetable would repay all 

 trouble. But if one has bought a place to sell 

 again, and therefore their stay may be transient 

 or at least uncertain, we would advise them to 

 put out a bed by all means. One good crop 



