1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



189 



trade in the country, but that capital seeks other 

 and more populous seaports. But the people have, 

 in lieu of that, turned their attention to the cultiva- 

 tion of fruit and fruit trees ; and near all the old 

 houses that Line some of the streets of the city, there 

 are beautiful and flourishing ornamental trees, both 

 shade and fruit trees. In the windows and the front 

 yards you will see flowers blooming. It is a city 

 of trees and of flowers ; and it is hardly necessary 

 to remind those interested in horticulture and 

 floriculture, that the grape culture has been carried 

 to a greater perfection, and met with greater suc- 

 cess in that city than in any other spot on the At- 

 lantic slope of the continent. Under the lead of 

 Manning, Lee and others, that city has become 

 noted for these things. I am satisfied, said Mr. Up- 

 ham, from what has been said this evening, that 

 both of the topics that have been considered are 

 important, not only as matters of taste and luxury, 

 but of more importance to the welfare, growth, 

 prosperity and distinction of this old Common- 

 wealth. 



TO EAISE GIAHT ASPARAGUS. 



The writer in one of the early volumes of the 

 Horticulturist, (Mr. Downing, we believe,) tells 

 how to grow common asparagus so that it will 

 always rival any giant production. He says : 



Every one who has seen my beds, has begged 

 me for the seed — thinking it a new sort — but I 

 have pointed to the manure heap — (the farmer's 

 best bank) — and told them that the secret all laid 

 there. The sight was only such as might be in every 

 garden. 



About the first of November — as soon as the frost 

 has well blackened the Asparag\.s tops — I take a 

 scythe, and mow all down close to the surface of 

 the bed ; let it lie a day or two, then set fire to the 

 heap of stalks ; burn it to ashes over the surface of 

 the bed. 



I then go to my barn-yard 5 I take a load of 

 clean, fresh stable manure, and add thereto half a 

 bushel of hen-dung; turning over and mixing the 

 whole together throughout. This makes a pretty 

 powerful compost. I apply one such load to every 

 twenty feet in length of my asparagus beds, which 

 are six feet wide. With a strong three-pronged 

 spud or fork, I dig this dressing under. The whole 

 is now left for the winter. 



In the Spring, as early as possible, I turn the top 

 of the bed over lightly, once more. Now, as the 

 asparagus grows naturally on the side of the ocean 

 and loves salt water, I give it an annual supply of 

 its favorite condiment. I cover the surface of the 

 bed about a quarter of an inch thick with fine pack- 

 ing salt ; it is not too much. As the spring rains 

 come down, it gradually dissolves. Everything 

 else, pigweed, purslane, all refuse to grow on the 

 top of my asparagus beds. But it would do your 

 eyes good to see the strong, stout, tender stalks of 

 the vegetable itself pushing through the surface 

 early in the season. Ido not at all stretch a point, 

 when I say that they are as large around as my 

 hoe handle, and as tenderand succulent as any I 

 ever tasted. The same round of treatment is given 

 to my bed every year. 



AGRICULTURAL LIBRARIES. 



A movement is to be made in the New York 

 Legislature, to secure the purchase of good Agri- 

 cultural works for the Public School Libraries of 

 the State. The design is to supply a standard 

 class of such works to all our Public Libraries, so 

 that the children of the State may be educated ia 

 one of the most useful branches of knowledge.— 

 The books are to be supplied at a very low rate, so 

 as to make the cost to each School District not 

 exceed $25. We regard this as a desirable move- 

 ment. Good agricultural works would be of more 

 actual service in our school libraries, than are nine- 

 tenths of the books now found upon their shelves. 



We are glad to see this movement to introduce 

 good books upon agricultural subjects among the 

 persons occupied in that calling. There is little or 

 nothing yet in our town libraries, on agricultural 

 affairs, that the young man can get hold of, which 

 would be of any importance to him. But there 

 are some twenty volumes, which, if carefully pe- 

 rused, would be of more service to any studious, 

 reflecting and observing young farmer, than a pres- 

 ent of one hundred dollars. But if these works 

 were introduced into our public schools, forming 

 the nucleus of a public school library, to be used 

 occasionally as one of the reading books, and then 

 taken out by the pupils under certain regulations, 

 the effect would be to increase the intelligence and 

 virtue of the community, and its industrial pros- 

 perity, and consequently swell the annual revenues 

 of the State. The indirect effects of such a 

 movement would be better buildings, bridges and 

 roads, broader and more productive fields, the in- 

 troduction of new trees and plants, and an increased 

 thrift and prosperity in aU the other pursuits of 

 life, as well as that of rural industry itself. All 

 this would spring from a study of these works, be- 

 cause it would dignify and ennoble the calling in 

 the mind of the tiller of the soil, and give him self- 

 resjject and contentment by qualifying him to con- 

 verse with the learned and to better understand 

 the powers and operations of nature about him. 

 We believe in books. For ourself, we feel almost 

 entirely indebted to them for whatever knowledge 

 we have been able to gain, and that, too, during 

 the intervals of an active labor upon which has de- 

 pended our comforts of life. 



When will Massachusetts, usually in the front 

 ranks of any enterprise that will benefit her sons, 

 take a decided step in this good work ! 



Fire Insurance.— The writer, "P. B. P.," on 

 this subject in another column, will please accept 

 our thanks for his lucid and timely article. Many 

 readers may find it worth more than a ten years' 

 subscription of the jPa?-wier to them, if they give it 

 some attention. 



{^ A restlessness in men's minds to be some- 

 thing they are not, and have something they have 

 not, is the root of all immorality. 



