AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
363 
straw, to make a pointed roof over the heads, and 
shovel on a thin layer of earth at first, increasing 
ts thickness as colder weather comes on. The 
frozen earth can be chopped away at any point, 
and the cabbages removed as desired, closing the 
opening made with eartli or a bundle of straw'. 
The cabbages will grow and increase in size all 
Winter, if an opening be left at each end for the 
access of air, closing it only in case of extreme 
cold. It is necessary that the earth be packed so 
as to shed off the rain, as the straw, becoming 
wet, will rot and injure the heads, though it ought 
not to be allowed to come in direct contact with 
them. The mice sometimes get in and destroy 
the cabbages. If discovered by their holes, they 
should be trapped immediately. 
Still another method we have found to answer 
well, and to require little time. Lay down two 
poles or rails upon the ground, two to four inches 
apart. Turn the heads down upon these and 
cover them with a few inches ol earth, smoothing 
it off to shed water. On the approach of very 
cold weather, put a large quantity of earth upon 
that portion of them desired for Wintdr use. We 
have removed the snow', cut off the frozen earth 
with an old ax, and taken out the cabbages in fine 
condition during the coldest season ofmid-Winter. 
GOOD GARDEN PEAS. 
As the gardening season is over, it is well to 
sum up the results of our experience, while they 
are fresh m mind. 
THY UftNlEL O’ROURKE 
which was sent out from the Patent Office, two 
or three years since, is comparatively a new va- 
variety in England, where it first attained its cel¬ 
ebrity. Its chief excellence is as an early varie¬ 
ty, maturing a few days sooner than the Prince 
Albert, Early Kent, and other early varieties. It 
is a good bearer, the pods are of good length, and 
well filled with a pea of excellent quality. It 
should be sown early, in order to secure the best 
results. It is comparatively worthless for a late 
crop. We are much pleased with this variety, 
and think it worthy of the attention of market 
gardeners, as well as of those who plant only for 
family use. 
THE CHAMPION OP ENGLAND 
maintains its place, as the best pea for the main 
crop. We never saw this vegetable in its perfec¬ 
tion, until we fell in with this variety some four 
or five years ago. It is a shrivelled pea, of large 
size, and very sweet and delicious. It is a stand¬ 
ard of excellence. The vines grow stocky and 
bear a profusion of well filled pods. We are sur¬ 
prised to find, that this pea is not more generally 
known. Not one farmer in a hundred has ever 
seen or tasted it. It ought to have a place in 
every garden where peas are grown, and to form 
the main crop of market gardeners. 
Stanley’s marrow 
we have tried for the first time this season. 
It is a fine large pea, later than the Champion of 
England, and nearly as good in quality. It shrivels 
like it, but is of lighter color. It does not bear 
quite as well, but is in every respect a valuable 
sort, and worthy of a place in our gardens. 
EPP’S LORD RAGLAN 
has lately been introduced from England. It 
matures about the time of the Champion, and is 
nearly as good in quality. It is not so stout a 
grower, nor so large a bearer, but is worthy of 
cultivation. 
THE GREEN MAMMOTH DWARF 
is a great improvement upon the old Bishop’s 
Dwarf, and ought to supercede it. The pea is of 
very large size though the vine is a true dwarf; 
it is a good variety for small gardens, where 
bushes would be in the way. 
TREAT YOURSELF TO ASPARA¬ 
GUS. 
Of all cultivated things in the garden, we think 
there are few better, cheaper, and at the same time 
more substantial luxuries than the asparagus— 
we say substantial, because, while it affords pleas¬ 
ure to the consumer, it yields nourishment. As 
to its cheapness, there may be a difference of 
opinion ; but it is to be taken into the account 
that a bed once well made is a permanent invest¬ 
ment, requiring comparatively little care, and giv¬ 
ing an annual return. At page 159, July No., a 
correspondent describes a bed made in 1819, 
which has continued productive during thirty-rune 
years , yielding a fair crop the past season. A bed 
25 feet square will give a daily supply for a large 
family during its season, after the first two or 
three years. Our own plot was set two years 
ago this month, with two-year old plants’ obtained 
from a dealer, and the past season it gave a cut¬ 
ting of large shoots every other day. Full direc¬ 
tions for planting have already been given in this 
volume, at pages 18 and 159, Jan. and July, Nos. 
A GOOD JOB IN THE GARDEN. 
We have annually recommended our readers to 
dig over their gardens in Autumn, throwing them 
into high ridges, and we are every year becoming 
more convinced of the value of this mode of treat¬ 
ment. A finely pulverized soil is of the first im¬ 
portance for any crop, and particularly for garden¬ 
ing. Jack Frost will certainly do the pulver¬ 
izing faster, better and cheaper than it can be 
done by any other agency whatever, if you will 
only give him a chance at it. Before Winter sets 
in, spade or plow the surface into as high, narrow 
ridges as you possibly can. If possible make them 
three-feet higher than the bottom of the interven¬ 
ing furrows, leaving it like the following 
AAAAAAAAAAA 
Spading or plowing gardens and fields designed 
for any kind of Spring crops, affords very many 
advantages, which are specially manifested on 
clay lands. Prepared as above the, ridges freeze 
through, and in thawing crumble down ; while the 
frost penetrates below the bottom of the 
furrows, and the whole soil is rendered pulveru¬ 
lent, and improved, and is enriched by the ammonia 
collected from snows, rains, and the air, during 
Winter 
There is generally more time for plowing in 
Fall, than in Spring when getting in the Spring 
crops, carting manure, 4-c., all crowd together. 
The teams are generally in better conditon for 
work in the Fall than after passing through a long 
Winter. 
Ground plowed in ridges, with deep open furrows 
between, dries out sooner, and on wet land several 
days may be gained, which is often enough to turn 
the scale in favor of a good wheat or other crop. 
The action of frost is very important in de¬ 
stroying and pulverizing the mineral elements and 
thus reducing them to that fine impalpable state 
necessary to giving a good medium for the growth 
of roots, Much poisonous matter in the soil is 
destroyed, since the frost and air penetrates a 
double depth where deep open furrows are left. 
The organic or vegetable matter, such as roots 
of plants, are decomposed more rapidly when sub¬ 
jected to freezing and thawing, as is the case 
when the ridged soil is more thoroughly exposed 
to frost. The roots of docks and other noxious 
weeds are more thoroughly killed out. Insects 
that burrow deeply in the soil are killed by ex 
posure to frost. 
These considerations are enough, we think, to 
recommend plowing all heavy soils in Autumn, 
where it can he done without serious neglect in 
the saving and threshing of crops already grown. 
Light, dry, sandy soils do not so strongly call for 
such Fall treatment, thorgh we think any soil will 
be benefited. Let garde n soils and those designed 
for high cultivation be deeply spaded now ; but if 
necessarily omitted now, let it be done at the first 
opportunity, if it be nottill anopeningoftheground 
sometime during Winter. 
CLEAN UI J THE GARDENS. 
You may pride yourself—as we do—on show¬ 
ing a vegetable garden where there is not a single 
growing weed, but there will be any quantity ot 
vines, stalks and rubbish from the various useful 
plants which will need to be gathered and piled in 
an out of the way, and out of sight heap, if you 
would not have an eye-sore to look out upon dur¬ 
ing all the Winter. It takes no more time to do 
this at the beginning than at the end of the Win¬ 
ter, and howynuch more neat and cheerful your 
garden plot and yard will appear, if raked entirely 
clean and smooth. It will be still better if, as 
we have elsewhere advised, the garden soil be 
thrown into uniform trenches, and all the rubbish 
buried beneath them. If by chance, or by negli¬ 
gence, any foul weeds have been permitted to go 
to seed, carefully gather and burn them One 
weed stalk left to ripen on the ground, will add 
materially to the labors of the next and the follow¬ 
ing years. 
DEUIZ1AS. 
This is an interesting and very beautiful family 
of plants, the different species coming into flower 
in succession from early Spring until after most 
other shrubs have completed their bloom. It is 
of “• celestial ” origin, the first specimen being 
brought from China, and named in honor of John 
Deutz, a distinguished botanist, and contributor 
to the expeditions to China and Japan. All the 
varieties thus far introduced here, like most plants 
from those countries, are found well adapted to our 
climate, proving perfectly hardy in the Northern 
States. 
The Deutzia is of very easy culture, growing 
readily from layers, and from offsets or divisions 
of the root. It is also raised from cuttings, those 
from some varieties striking freely in the open 
ground, while others require the assistance of 
a cold-frame or green-house. Early in this 
month is a suitable time for transplanting the dif¬ 
ferent species, and if this be done with care, they 
will bloom freely next Spring. The Deutzia 
scabra has been cultivated in this country for some 
years past, but what we now wish especially to 
recommend is the Deutzia gracilis', of recent in¬ 
troduction. As implied in its name, “ gracilis,” 
(graceful,) its branches shoot out into a slender 
delicate growth, covered in early Spring with a 
dense white bloom. The plant itself is of low 
growth, seldom reaching more than two feet in 
’night, with small narrow leaves of a deep green, 
contrasting finely with its snow-white flowers. 
It forms a choice shrub for the open border, and 
is well adapted to Winter forcing in the hot¬ 
house, where it blooms in great profusion during 
the entire Winter. 
The plants can be obtained at most nurseries for 
37 or 50 cents each, and may be carried to any 
distance. Put them into almost any garden soil, 
and cultivate like the lilac and other flowering 
shrubs. 
