178 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDEISTER. 



1871 



Conover's Colossal Asparagus. 



It appears to be a question with some whether or 

 not the size of Conover's Colossal Asparagus is not 

 due to extra culture and care, rather than anything 

 new in the line of variety. We have grown the old, 

 or common sort for some years. Hearing so much 

 .said of the superiority of the Colossal, we were 

 induced last spring to make a bed of it with year- 

 ling plants. With the two beds under our eye, and 

 with like culture, we shall be able in the course of 

 a year or two, to settle in our own mind the rela- 

 tive merits of the two. If the so-called Colossal 

 should turn out to be a re-vamp of some old sort, 

 like the Mexican strawberry, Saurcgan raspberry, 

 and other like horticultural dodges, the sooner the 

 public are made aware of the deception the better, 

 that purchasers may no longer be bled in paying 

 two prices for seed and plants. At a late meeting 

 of the N. Y. Farmer's Club a talk was had upon 

 this mooted question, but as will be seen from what 

 was said, opinions pro and con, were left pretty well 

 balanced. 



"James Smith, Pittsford, N. Y., bought, two years 

 ago, fifty cents worth of Colossal Asparagus seed) 

 which he transplanted according to Dr. Brucn's 

 directions in the spring of 1870. He is now cutting 

 from it for the table, liberally, every day. He 

 urges that Mr. Bruen's advice that a farmer grow 

 his own roots from seed is good unless he can get 

 tliem very near at hand. He failed twice by purch- 

 asing roots. Mr. Bruen said he had not found 

 Conover's Colossal to do any better nor produce 

 any larger growth than a bed of his common sort. 

 Dr. Trimble said that it should not be judged by a 

 single year's trial. So also said Mr. Lyman, who 

 found that the first year's growth was not strong, 

 but it thereafter grew stronger. Mr. Fuller said it 

 was a question with him whether the size of the 

 Colossal was due to the variety or to the culture. 

 The Bostonians beat the Colossal last year, as to 

 seize, with the old sort. He could see no differ- 

 ence in the leaves of the two varieties, though he is 

 not prepared to say they are identical. But he 

 should like to know whether the diflerence is not 

 entirely due to mode of culture. 



Tbe Art ot Making Salad, 



In every country salad is composed of nearly the 

 same ingredients. Many vegetables contain potash, 

 and when they can be eaten raw they are excellent 

 antiscorbutic food. Boiling them would remove the 

 potash ; thus their principal virtue would be lost. 

 The Romans ate salad freelj', mixed with olive oil. 

 The general ingredients of a salad are well known. 

 In spring and summer, lettuce, mustard, and cress, 

 water cross, and radishes form the staple ; in the 

 autumn, endive and cabbage lettuce predominate. 

 Nothing spoils a salad so much, both in appearance 

 and flavor, as cutting it up too fine. Every atom 



should maintain its individuality. Radishes cannot 

 be cut too fine, but the slices should be in rings, and 

 not in dice shape. Onions must remain a matter of 

 taste ; but not so as regards mint. Every salad 

 should contain from three to six leaves of young 

 mint, as it greatly assists in digestion. No salad can 

 be properly made without one or two hard boiled 

 eggs, because the yolks are necessary to blend the 

 oil. 



The mixture should be made thus — Boil two eggs 

 quite hard ; when done take them out of the sauce- 

 pan and put them in cold water. This causes the 

 eggs to shrink, and the shells can easily be removed 

 without disfiguring the white. Cut each egg into 

 three parts and remove the yolk into the salad 

 bowl ; cut the white into fine rings, some of the 

 best of which should be preserved to place on top 

 of the salad when .served. With a wood or silver 

 spoon break up the yolk in the salad bowl, and add 

 one table spoonful of oil ; these ingredients rub to- 

 gether, and they will blend ; then add at least three 

 tablespoonfuls more of oil, and again rub all togeth- 

 er ; now add a teaspoonful of moist sugar, again 

 rub, and all will blend. 



Now adtl gradually, a little at a time, the vinegar, 

 In quantity about twice as much as the oil used ; 

 lastly put in pepper, salt, and ready-mixed mustard, 

 the latter but little ; but ou no account use mustard 

 that has not been previou.sly mixed with water. A 

 little taragons vinegar, used scantily, improves ev- 

 ery salad. It is very essential to mix the ingredi- 

 ents in the order laid out as above. When this is 

 carefully done, an excellent salad will be the result 

 — soft, yet aromatic ; creamy, but not greasy. 



There are as true chemical reasons for mixing 

 yolk of egg with oil, as there are for mixing flour- 

 of-mustard with water and not vinegar ; but this is 

 not the place for examining them — the fact stated 

 must be accepted. It is the general want of knowl- 

 edge of how to blend the oil, that causes the remark 

 " I am very fond of salad, but I'll not take any oil, 

 thank you." Of course, served up as it frequently 

 is, all floating and greasy, few things can be more 

 objectionable, unless it be that rancid potion sold in 

 ring bottles in shops, under the name of " Salad 

 Cream." Avoid this. Beet-root, as a staple to a 

 salad, is not used sufficiently in America. At least 

 half a good sized beet should be cut up with every 

 salad. It is digestable, nutritious, and in general fa- 

 vor. — Hour Glass. 



Copperas for Currant Worms. — It is said that 

 a solution made by dissolving one pound of copper- 

 as in sixteen gallons of water and sprinkled upon 

 the bushes until thoroughly saturated will most 

 etTcctually destroy the currant worm. This is a 

 cheap, simple and safe method, and if a remedy, is 

 preferable to anything else we have seen recom- 

 mended. 



