D. M. Ferry & Go's Descriptive Catalogue. 



13 



Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue 



WITH 



GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR CULTIVATION. 



iiS^ The Terms and Prices of Vegetable Seeds will be found in the Retail Price List, in 

 the back part of this Catalogne. 



^< 



.0-. 



ARTICHOKE. 



French, i4ritcAaut.—GeTmsLn, Artischoke. 

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

 f twelve inches 



'" apart. The per- 



aJ manent beds 

 -^^^ should be spaded 

 "'^ ;i^ deep, and well 

 ^ , dressed with rot- 

 ted manure.ashes 

 and a Httle salt. 

 When the plants 

 are six inches 

 high, transplant, 

 setting them 

 about two feet 

 apart. The edi- 

 ble portion is the 

 I'' ' 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. 



Fr. As^crge.— Qtcr. Spargcl. 



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 jxs 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 ; but 

 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 snmmer ; and if this 

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

 spring. The permanent bed should be prepared by deep 

 spading, working in a large quantity of rotted manure 

 — the more the better. Dig treaches four feet apart 

 and twelve to eighteen inches deep, and spade in at 

 least four inches of well rotted manure in the bottom. 

 Stt the plaats about one foot apart in this trench, ajid 

 cover 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 ripe. 



Conover's Colossal. — A mammoth 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 variety, 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. 



BEA^Sj Uv^'arf, Busli or Snap. 



Fr. Haricot. — Ger. Bohne. 



Under this name are classed all the low growing sorts, 

 called in 'different catalogues Busk, BuTich, Snap., 

 String ox Divarf Beaiis. 



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 and cultivation than this, and 

 the finer garden varietiesraust have 

 it to do well, thai best adapted to 

 them being a light, rich, well 

 drained loam. wlii<:h was ma- 

 nured for the previous crop. If 

 too rank manure is used it is apt c j 

 make them grow too much to vii:e. 

 They are all extremely sensitive 

 to frost and wet, and it is useless 

 to plant them before tke ground 

 has become warm and li^ht. The 

 largest return will result from 

 planting in drills about two feet 

 apart and the plants two to eight 

 inches apart in the row. Up to 

 the time of blossoming they should 

 be frequently cultivated, but never 

 v\«hen the ground or plaats are wet 

 with rain or dew. as it would be 

 sure to injure them ; nor should 

 they be disturbed Jiftef the,y com- 

 mence to bloom, as it would pre- 

 vent their setting well. 



&. Go's 



Golden Wa) 



