G 
5 
THE SKATER. 
BY MRS. LUCY DEWEY CLAY. 
How dear to my spirits is rink roller skating, 
As dressed in my best from my top to my toe; 
With the boys and the girls, men, women and chil- 
d ren, 
Away to the skating rink gaily I go. 
Oh, who can define it, the pleasure that’s in it, 
As I wobble so queerly, now fast and now slow; 
Now gliding and rolling, now blundering and tum¬ 
bling; 
Oh, its fun, jolly fun, and it pleases me so. 
This rink roller skating, this roller rink skating. 
This roll rinker skating, it pleases me so. 
How often at eve, when with cap and “new-market,” 
And bright frenchy shoes I am ready to start. 
Somebody says something in disapprobation 
To wrinkle my brow and sadden my heart. 
And I read in the papers such sharp 'words of warn¬ 
ing. 
All the M. D’s and clergy comdemn it, I know; 
But this is no matter, I care not a farthing,— 
This rolling rink skating bewilders me so, 
This skating rink roller, this rolling rink skater. 
This skate rolling rinker, it crazes me so. 
Then tell me no more of the terrible dangers, 
Of the backs and the heads that are broken, and all 
Of the dreadful mishaps, I'll surely keep rolling. 
And if 1 eau’t stand, why I ll ——strike where I 
fall. 
If I break into pieces, just pick them up tenderly, 
Carry them out and deposit them low. 
Then keep right on skating, you soon will come 
after; 
This rink roller skating it tumbles you so. 
This roll skating rinker, this rolling skate rinker, 
This skater rink rolling, it ’‘bumpies” you so. 
Starting; Asparagus Beds. 
BY W. D. BOYNTON. 
It will take at least two year’s time to 
start an asparagus bed from the seed; that 
is, to get it into good bearing condition. 
When no previous preparation has been 
made, it is best to get plants for the new 
bed so that a return may be realized from 
it the second year. But if one has taken 
the forethought to have the seeds sown a 
year before the plants are wanted, there 
need be no period of waiting. The plants 
should be at least one year old before trans¬ 
planting. These will be very small, and 
for that reason, many prefer to keep them 
in the seed bed until two years old. 
Nearly all seedsmen keep these plants in 
trade, at such reasonable prices that no one 
need deny himself a year on account of the 
cost. However, if the gardener wishes to 
grow his own plants, of a particular vari¬ 
ety, let him get a package of seed—an 
ounce will sow a good long row—and drill 
them in on a rich, deep soil that has been 
made as fine and mellow as time and rake- 
teeth will make it, To be sure you can 
start the plants on poor soil, and bring 
them into good condition after transplant¬ 
ing into a rich well-worked bed; but I find 
that it pays to use them well from the 
start. The plants will be all the larger and 
better to start into bearing -with, and that 
means a better crop the second year after 
transplanting. An asparagus bed once well 
established will last for many years. So we 
should not be stingy when we come to pre¬ 
pare the plant bed proper. Trenches should 
be dug about eighteen inches deep where 
the rows are to be located. In the bottoms 
of the beds scatter a layer of old bones, 
scraps of leather, chunks of lime, etc., that 
will serve as a permanent and lasting, ma¬ 
nure. Then fill in to the surface with a 
compost of earth and well-rotted manure 
from the barnyard. 
Set the plants twelve inches apart in the 
clear, and deep enough so that the crowns 
will be about three inches below the sur¬ 
face. Spread the roots well in setting, 
instead of huddling down in a heap, as 
many do when setting strawberry plants in 
a hurry. Water for the first few days if 
the weather is dry. 
Salt is a good fertilizer for the asparagus 
bed, although it is a poison to most plants 
when administered in any quantity. It not 
only makes the plants thrive, but serves to 
keep back the weeds. 
In removing the weeds, care should be 
taken not to injure the young shoots. Hand 
work is best in the asparagus bed. 
Where the conditions are favorable, a 
small crop may be grown the second year 
after transplanting; but it will be better 
for the plants not to cut very heavy even 
the second year. The shoots should be 
about six inches in height when cut, at 
which time the heads will be close and 
firm. Cut them below the surface of the 
ground with a sloping cut. 
After the season is over, allow the tops to 
grow and bear flowers and seeds. When 
ripe, cut these close to the ground and let 
them lie; cover a few inches deep with 
coarse manure in autumn. 
Try to appear what you are and what 
you can afford to be, and try to be as you 
would like to appear. 
