90 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



The vines want something to rnn on; but unless 

 you iu-e rifii anJ hiive other ornamental work to 

 match, don't employ a joiner to make a planed and 

 painted arhor, it is liad taste and poor economy ; 

 the hest trellis for the cost, is i)Osts (J or 7 feet high, 

 witli a narrow board on the top, to keej) the ])()sts 

 in place, and 3 or 4 wires stretched liorizontally 

 below. To jiromote viji;orous growth and early 

 bearing, cut back in the fall or winter the first 

 year's growth to one shoot of about^a foot in length; 

 let two branches grow froin this tlie next year, 

 training them horizontally each way, and pulling oil:' 

 all the laterls. Cut back the next winter accord- 

 ing to the vigor and size ; and the next summer let 

 branches grow perpendicularly, 10 to 18 inches 

 apart^ to the top of the trellis, and then cut them off. 

 This season you may expect a few grapes, and for 

 further instructions for pruning and training, 

 consult the Genesee Farmer^ Hui-al Annual, and 

 conunon sense. 



Don't pick your grapes before they are ripe, as 

 most " new beginners " do. There are many who 

 have raised a few for years, and know nothing of 

 tlie flavor of a ripe grape. Don't pluck oft' the 

 leaves — that will retard the ripening, and injure the 

 flavor. Nature turns up the broad leaf to the sun, 

 but hides the fruit in the shade behind it. In this 

 respect it differs materially from tree fruit. Do not 

 be afraid of raising a surplus ; they cost you less 

 than almost any other fruit; you can make pies of 

 them while green — jellies, jams, preserves, sauces 

 and wine, when ripe; can dry them in sugar, or by 

 hanging them up by the stems ; or, you can preserve 

 them i)retty fresh for eating till February, by pack- 

 ing (on the stems) dry and cool in cotton or paper. 

 As to the best kinds to raise, go to the Fairs and 

 consult the exhibitors, read books and pjapers, and 

 taste the fi-uit when you can honestly ; but do not 

 rely mainly on the putt's of new varieties sold at 

 fancy prices. As to manures, if the land is in good 

 lieart, I should not nuinure very highly, for I think 

 it promotes the growth of vines rather than fruit. 

 Barn-yard manure and ashes I think are good, 

 especially the latter, and I see no objection to any 

 of the composts recommended. 



Gorluim, N. l'., JaiCy, 1S58, 



CULTURE OF ASPAEAGUS. 



To raise asparagus from seed, sow it? in autumn 

 or early spring, in a good garden soil. '" Take ripe 

 berries and put them in wai-m water; they will 

 soon begin to ferment; then the seed can readily 

 be washed from tlie pulp and dried. (Cucumber 

 seed is most conveniently cleaned in the same way.) 

 Sow in drills an inch deep and ten inches ajjart; 

 cover with mellow earth, and press down lightly. 

 Cultivate fretjuedtly and cleanly, and thiii out the 

 plants to ten inches apart in the drills. The second 

 year select the best plants to form the bed. 



In situation, the Asparagus bed should be open 

 to the n\orning sun, and protected from the iu>rth 

 and west winds by a low wall or fence, if it mav be 

 conveniently. It nmst not be shaded, as it needs 

 free light and air. It should be rich, this is a 

 necessity of_ tiie plant, if any valuable ]iroduct is 

 desired. Dig up a loamy, porous soil, thirty inches 

 or three feet deep, intermix largely and thoroughly 

 With good stable manure, to vk^ithin six mches of 



the surface — fill this space with good garden mould. 

 Then set out the young j)lants in rows, two feet 

 apart, and one foot apart in the row. Do this 

 carefully, preserving all the small roots possible. 

 Cover now the whole bed with decomposed muck, 

 or any rich black eartli, about two inches deep, and 

 then sprinkle on salt enough to whiten the surface. 

 This will keep down the weeds, and is needed by 

 tlie Asparagus, which is a native of the sea-side — 

 although a jilant of very different habit, while 

 uncultivated by man. 



Remove the dead stalks in autumn, and cover the 

 bed three inches deep with stable manure. This 

 will protect the roots in winter, and cause them to 

 start earlier. It should be forked in, in spring, 

 taking care not to injure the plants, and another 

 dressing of salt applied. Cut none, or very few, of 

 the stalks until the third year — the plants will then 

 be well estaUished, and will yield a supply of large 

 good stalks, continuing to do so for years, if 

 manured every fall and spring as above directed. 

 Cut all, or nearly all, the shoots while cutting the 

 bed, and only just below the surface of the ground 

 — only the green par is fit for eating. 



Sufficient room, both in deptli and breadth, a 

 rich warm soil, and salt enough to keep down the 

 weeds, are necessities of the Asparagus bed. 



January, 1858. J. II. B. 



CTTLTIVATION OF THE KHUBAEB. 



RnuBARB is a hardy perrennial from Asia and 

 Tartary, cultivated for the petioles of tlie root- 

 leaves, which are used for tarts, pies, and sauce. 

 Of late, its cultivation has been rai)idly extending, 

 furnishing, as it does, excellent material for jdes 

 and sauce, at a season when fruit cannot easily be 

 obtained. Any family having a few rods of ground 

 to cultivate, can have an abundant and never- 

 failing supply of this wholesome vegetable, by 

 observing the following directions : 



Soil. — If possible, select a sandy or gravelly loam. 



Pkeparatiox. — Trench it three spits deep, on no 

 account neglect to do this. Fill the trench with 

 well-rotted horse manure, thoroughly mixed with 

 the top of the soil. 



Size of the Plaxtatiox. — Let the number of 

 plants you put out be determined by the size of 

 your family. A bed three feet wide and twenty- 

 five feet long, will abundantly supply a large family. 

 It will admit of a single row, with the larger kinds, 

 at five feet apart, and the smaller kinds at three. • 



Varieties. — MitehelVs Early Albert. — The earli- 

 est sort cultivated ; of good size, fine flavor, and 

 tender throughout the season. 



Tobolsk. — This is an early variety, but compared 

 with the larger sorts, is small ; its flavor, however, 

 is excellent. 



MyaWs Victoria is, perhaps, the most popular 

 variety grown ; it is large, and highly flavored. 



Our experience is limited to the above varieties. 

 There is a new variety called Cahoori's Mammoth 

 Seedling., M-hich is reputed to grow enormously 

 large; but we are inclined to think that it is not so 

 rich and Iiighly flavored as MyaWs Victoria. 



You can raise your own plants, if desirable, from 

 the seed ; lint you can have no assurance as to th6 

 kinds, as seeds will never produce the varieties of 

 the plants from which they are taken. 



Januart/, ISoS. * F. * 



le 



