344 General Notices. 



years in the East, has returned to this country with trees of many new 

 and valuable fruits. Among them are several Peaches, Nectarines, and 

 Apricots with sweet kernels. These, when grown in Syria side by side 

 with the finest of the varieties known in Europe, are said to have proved 

 as superior to the latter as they are to tiie worst sorts of which we have 

 any knowledge. Mr. Barker also possesses a White Mulberry from Ar- 

 menia, so sweet that its fruit is dried like raisins, and so juicy that when 

 pressed it produces the syrup in which the delicious butter of Armenia ia 

 brouglit to Aleppo. We shall watch with great interest the period when 

 these fruit trees yield their first crop in this country. [Gard. Chron. 1844, 

 p. 263.) 



Asparagus. — It appears to be a general opinion that new plantations of 

 Asparagus, to have a reasonable chance of success, must be made early 

 in the spring, — not later than the end of March. I have reason to think 

 that nothing is lost, if there is not a positive advantage gained, by defer- 

 ing it to a much later period. In the spring of 1842, having occasion to 

 make a new plantation of Asparagus, the ground was prepared by trench- 

 ing it to the depth of two feet, and raising the whole surface one foot, with 

 turfy loam, burnt clay, farm-yard manure and the refuse of charcoal pits. 

 The beds were then formed three feet and a half wide, with the same 

 space between them, allowing for two rows of plants on each bed. The 

 plants Avere got up and planted with the greatest care about the middle 

 of March ; but, as I have frequently seen in other gardens, a great many 

 of the roots perished. Now, there is nothing that I dislike more to see 

 than gaps in a bed of vegetables of any kind ; and in the case of so val- 

 uable a vegetable as Asparagus, it is not only an eye-sore, but also a se- 

 rious loss. It was, however, June before I could take any decided step 

 to remedy the evil. I then procured several thousands of two-year-old 

 plants, took up those that had not died, and, beginning entirely anew, had 

 the ground dug over again, and re-planted with the fresh plants ; and al- 

 though they had tops eight or ten inches high, scarcely one failed. Many 

 of the tops, indeed, withered and turned brown, but were in all cases 

 succeeded by a fresh growth. The plants were taken up carefully, the 

 roots were immediately covered with moss, and were kept moist until the 

 moment before planting. In the course of the season the beds received 

 several copious waterings witli salt water. In the spring of 1843, before 

 the slioots made tlieir appearance, the beds were sprinkled with salt suffi- 

 ciently thick to make them appear white, and the waterings witii salt wa- 

 ter were repeated several times through the summer season, and by Sep- 

 tember the shoots were five feet high. Since the 15th of this month, 

 (April, 1844,) we have gathered daily a good supply of fine Asparagus 

 from these beds. I should mention, that when the beds were planted the 

 second time, the plants which were taken out (tiie remnant of the first 

 planting,) were put into two beds by themselves, where they grew very 

 well, but not so strong as the others. It may appear that Asparagus 

 planted in March, and having the Avhole season to grow in, must have a 

 better chance of doing well than that which is transplanted in the middle 

 of its growth; but I conceive that whatever advantages may arise from 

 early planting, are counterbalanced by the ground being cold and wet, 

 and tlie roots of the plants being so tender that many of tliem perish be- 

 fore the vegetative principle is excited ; while at a later period tlie case 

 is different, as the juices of the plant are in motion at tlie time, and the 



