230 Notes and Gleanings. 



naturally as during the first and second years. In autumn, cut and burn as be- 

 fore ; dig over the surface ; add a dressing of manure ; and, in the ensuing 

 spring, the beds may be cut freely for use. 



" Instead of transplanting the roots, asparagus-beds are sometimes formed 

 by sowing the seeds where the plants are to remain. When this method is 

 adopted, the beds should be laid out and trenched as before directed, and about 

 three inches of soil removed from the entire surface. The seed should then be 

 sown in drills an inch deep, at the distances marked out for the rows, and cov- 

 ered with rich, light soil. When the seedlings are two or three inches high, 

 they should be .thinned to nine or twelve inches apart ; and, in thinning, the 

 weakest plants should be removed. In the autumn, cut down the plants after 

 they have withered, stir and smooth the surface, and add a dressing of manure. 

 In the spring of the second year, stir the surface again ; and, during the summer, 

 cultivate as before. In the autumn, the plants will be ready for the dressing; 

 which consists of the soil previously taken from the bed, with sufficient well- 

 digested compost added to cover the crowns of the roots five or six inches in 

 depth. The after-culture is similar to that of beds from transplanted roots. 



"'Asparagus-beds should be enriched every autumn with a liberal applica- 

 tion of good compost containing some mixture of salt ; the benefit of which will 

 be evident, not only in the quantity, but in the size and quality, of the produce. 

 The dressing should be applied after the removal of the decayed stalks, and 

 forked in, that its enriching properties may be washed to the roots of the plants 

 by winter-rains. 



'"In general, transplanted asparagus comes up quite slender the first year ; 

 is larger the second ; and, the third year, a few shoots may be fit for cutting. It 

 is nearly in perfection the fourth year ; and, if properly managed, will annually 

 give an abundant supply during the life of the maker of a bed or plantation.' " 



Ripening of Grapes. — R. W. Holton, Esq., writes to us from Haverstraw, 

 N.Y., Aug. 31, in regard to grape-prospects, as follows ; viz. : "Allen's Hybrids 

 and Israella will be ripe this week. The Hartford is also as far advanced. The 

 lona with me will not be more than one week behind the Delaware. The grape- 

 crop is better than any other crop in this vicinity. 



" Any one who has planted good vines, and given thein attention, will be sat- 

 isfied with the results. I think that some few vineyards I have visited this fall 

 are failures only from want of attention." 



Our Mobile correspondent tells us that fruit there was never more plentiful 

 or cheap than it is this season, particularly grapes and peaches. 



We may note here, that we observed in New- York City, the third week in 

 August, Concord grapes for sale at fifty cents per pound, the best peaches ten 

 cents each at retail, and nectarines at two dollars per dozen. 



Fruits lead us on to speak of vegetables ; and we notice that tomatoes have 

 gone down in the Boston market from eleven dollars per bushel — the price at 

 which the first home-grown ones sold — to sixty cents per bushel retail, or forty 

 cents wholesale. 



