D. M. Ferry & Co-s Descriptive Catalogue. 



13 



ilLUSTRATED AND DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE 



-6A OF Vi) — 



Vegetable Seeds. 



-tr\ WITH V3- 



GENBI^AIi DlI^BGTIONS POi^ (SUIiTIVATJON. 



As usual we have endeavored to cultivate only ^-^T'^ T^e Terms and Prices of Vegetable Seeds 



the best varieties, and to present their 



claims faithfully with accurate 



descriptions. 





'ill be found in the Price List, 



in the back part of this 



Catalogue. 



ARTICHOKE. 



French, Artiskaut. — Ger'nan, Artisckoke. 

 Culture. — Sow in seed beds early in spring, in drills 

 twelve inches 

 apart. The per- 

 manent beds 

 should be spaded 

 deep, and well 

 dressed with rot- 

 ten manure.ashes 

 and a little salt. 

 When the plants 

 are six inches 

 high, transplant, 

 setting them 

 about two f e 2 1 

 apart. The edi- 

 ble portion is the 

 undeveloped 

 Large Globe. flower heads, 



which should be used before they begin to open, and 

 then the stalk cut to the ground, for if the flowers ex- 

 pand they weaken the plants. In the fall, cover with 

 manure, which should be spaded in the following spring, 

 taking care not to injure the plants. The crop is the 

 largest and best the second year, after which the bed 

 should be renewed by seed or suckers. 



Large Globe, — The best sort for general use. Buds 

 large, nearly round ; scales deep green, shading to pur- 

 ple, very thick and fleshy. 



ASPARAGUS. 



French, Aspergc-. — German, Spargel. 



Asparagus is one of the earliest spring vegetables, 

 and would be in universal use were it not for the preva- 

 lent idea that it is difficult to grow it. We think this is 

 a mistake, and that there is no vegetable on our list 

 that can be produced so cheaply and easily as this. It 

 delights in a moist, sandy soil, but can be grown in any 

 garden by following the directions given below. 



Culture. ^Beds are usually formed by setting plants 

 one or two years old. which can be procured of us; 'out 

 if you wish to grow them yourself, prepare a light, rich 

 spot as early as possible in the spring, and after soaking 

 the seed twenty-four hours in warm water, sow in drills 

 one foot apart. When the plants are well up, thin to 

 two or three inches in the row, and give frequent and 



thorough cultivation during the summer ; and if this 

 has been well done, the plants will be fit to set the next 

 spring. The permanent bed should be prepared by dee- 

 spading, working in a large quantity of rotted manure 

 — the more the better. Dig trenches four feet apart 

 and twelve to eighteen inches deep, and spade in at 

 least four inches of well rotted manure in the bottom. 

 Set the plants about one foot apart in this trench, and 

 coyer with about two inches of fine soil. After the 

 plants are well up gradually fill up the trenches, and 

 give frequent and thorough cultivation. Early the next 

 spring spade in a heavy dressing of manure, and two 

 quarts of salt to each square rod, and cultivate well until 

 the plants begin to die down. The next season it may 

 be cut for the table two or three times, taking care to 

 cut all the shoots, large and small, as soon as they ap- 

 pear. After the final cutting, give a good dressing of 

 manure and salt. The next season, and ever after that, 

 the bed should give a full crop and be annually dressed 

 with manure and salt after the last cutting, and well 

 cultivated until the plants occupy the whole space. In 

 the fall the tops should be cut and 

 burned, but 7iot until they are dead 

 7i/>e. 



Conover's Colossal. — A mam- 

 moth sort, frequently sending up 

 fifteen to thirty sprouts from one to 

 one and a half inches in diameter 

 from a single plant, and spreading 

 less than most sorts. Color deep 

 green ; quality good. 



Giant. — An old and popular vari- 

 ety, producing green or purple shoots 

 according to the soil it is grown in. 

 Very hardy, but not so large, or the 

 plants as compact as the last. 



BEAXS, 



D-warf, Bui^li, or Snap. 



Fr. Haricot. — Ger. Bohne. 



Under this name are classed all the 

 low growing sorts, called in different 

 catalogues Bush^ Bunch., Snap, 

 String or Dwarf Beans. 



Culture. — It is a great mistake to 

 suppose, as many do, that Beans do 

 best on light, poor land. No crop 

 responds more readily to good soil 



Golden Wa» 



