FRUTT GARDEN. 
4-j: 
Endive may be blanched several ways ; the 
oldest practice is to tie it up close like Cos 
Lettuces ; another practice, where there is not 
too much of it, is to lay flat tiles upon it ; 
a third, and in the season likely tc be visited 
with frost, the best, is to cover with an in- 
verted flower-pot, stopping the hole up with 
a cork, and even covered up with mould. 
Upon a ridge or bank sloping to the south, 
Endive may still be planted out. It is always 
best on a sloping bank, because it is impatient 
of wet, and grows the better for the hot sun. 
Some should be planted under a common gar- 
den frame and light, if a supply through 
winter be required. 
The Common Potherbs may be potted 
off now for the purpose of forcing for winter 
use ; these pots may be placed in a hot-bed or 
in the stove, as they are wanted ; slips of all 
these herbs may be planted to strike root and 
form new beds. 
Asparagus. — Cut down the haulm or 
stalks close to the surface of the ground, then 
take out the clearings of the alleys or paths 
between the beds, enough to lay over the bed 
two or three inches deep ; but if the alleys be 
foul with weeds, dig them into the bottom, 
and take the first earth turned up to cover 
the surface of the bed with the necessary 
quantity. Asparagus may be forced in a com- 
mon hot-bed; this should be prepared with 
stable dung and leaves, or dung alone, the 
same as it would be prepared for Cucumbers 
or Melons, and three inches of soil should be 
put on it ; any time before the end of the 
month will be soon enough for this. The 
Asparagus roots to be placed on this bed must 
be three years old, and strong, healthy stuff; 
these are laid on the top of the mould, with 
their fibres spread out all round them, as close 
as they can be placed side by side ; for, as the 
roots are only to be used one short season, 
they can hardly be too thick ; they are to be 
covered three inches only at first, and most 
people who require long white stalks put 
three more on in a fortnight ; we want no 
white stalk, and therefore put no more, but 
cut all the buds after they have grown four 
inches above the soil, when all can be eaten. 
Look well to all last month's directions, and 
do anything that has been left undone. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
Here the work begins with gathering such 
fruit as has not already been taken in doors, 
and as most of this is for keeping, you cannot 
be too careful, for very slight bruises will 
cause premature decay, beginning at the part 
bruised. The keeping of fruit has been the 
subject of much discussion, and we are left, 
after reading all, and hearing all that can be 
written or said, just as wise as we were 
before, for all that we could learn from it. 
Our own experience tells us that they are 
best kept, and most conveniently examined, 
when placed in racks, or shelves formed of 
bars, with straw under them and over them. 
We have tried sand, and packing in boxes 
and jars, and we have in no instance found 
the ripening process go on well, nor the fruits 
of good flavour. The evaporation of part 
of the moisture, which goes on when air is 
admitted, is unquestionably beneficial, and 
by comparison, after taking all the pains we 
could with all the different modes of keeping, 
convinced us that the flavour of fruit suffers 
considerably by excluding the air from it. 
We admit that the confined fruit was more 
plump, but nobody would believe they were 
the same fruit, and off the same tree as those 
kept openly in the fruit room. 
Vines, in a good season, have ripened some 
of their fruit, if not all ; it would be well to 
hang glasses over the bunches, to protect them 
from frosts and wasps. Tack in the branches 
to prevent the wind from blowing them about, 
and avoid doing one of the most common but 
the most silly things in the whole process of 
grape growing. It is as common a practice as 
may be to pick off all the leaves in the vicinity 
of the bunches, to expose the said bunches to 
the sun. Now this does not hasten the ripen- 
ing at all. If five or six leaves fall one over 
the other, some might be removed on one side 
to lessen their thickness, but taking leaves 
away deprives the plant and fruit of their 
nourishment, and does not hasten the ripening 
at all. The ends of any of the branches 
intended to bear next year, ought to be taken 
off at the beginning of the month, for it will 
hasten the ripening of the wood. Take off 
also any late shoots, for they can be good for 
nothing, and only weaken the vine. 
Pruning hardly belongs to this month, 
unless the leaves have fallen, but towards the 
end of the month may be prepared for it ; 
unless there be some good reason for hasten- 
ing the operation, it is as well deferred 
awhile. Loosened branches may be nailed in 
their places, to prevent them being deranged, 
but the knife ought not to be used until the 
leaves have fallen. 
Planting must also depend on the fall of 
the leaf. It is not advisable to disturb roots 
till they are themselves at rest, then there is 
no mischief done to the next season's growth. 
The ground may be prepared for it, by digging 
or trenching deep, and by well draining the 
portion to be planted. 
New Fruit Trees. — Select, from some 
respectable nursery, such of the following 
fruits as may not already be in your collection, 
as nothing is more unprofitable and unsatisfac- 
tory than to grow fruits of second-rate quality, 
