THE CULTIVATOR. 
79 
in some locations, as we have mentioned, this course is 
most economical. 
Oxen and horses, which have worked hard during' the 
winter, will be much benefited by being allowed a respite 
during this month of storm and mud; and while the farmer 
and his boys are engaged in cutting and splitting the year’s 
stock of wood, which has been (of course) got up by 
good sledding, he will find it much to his advantage to 
let his oxen quietly chew the cud “ of sweet and bitter 
fancy ' 5 in the comfortable barn, or sunny barn yard. 
This interval of rest will enable the animals to recover 
some of their flesh and strength, which have been ex¬ 
hausted in hauling wood and logs, or in carrying the farm 
products to market; their old hair becomes loose and falls 
off, the pores of the skin are opened, and the animals, 
reinvigorated, are fitted to withstand the heat and burden 
of the spring’s labor. 
CULTIVATION OF ASPARAGUS. 
Of all vegetables, treated as “ greens ,” the asparagus is 
considered by most, as standing at the head of the list. 
Comparatively few, however, provide themselves pro¬ 
perly with a supply, or even where they have an abun¬ 
dance, it is not of the first quality. Perhaps a few hints 
on its culture, and on the mode of obtaining the finest, 
may be acceptable at this time. 
The difference between large and small asparagus, de¬ 
pends very much on cultivation; a deep rich soil, and 
plenty of room between the plants , producing the largest 
growth. Something also doubtless is to be attributed to 
the variety ; as by a successive selection of seed from the 
thriftiest plants, an ultimate improvement may be ob¬ 
tained. Hence, in making a bed, seed from those plants 
which are known to be very large, are to be preferred. 
If good plants, one or two years old, can be obtained at 
hand, the bed will of course be accelerated one year. 
A common and a good practice in preparing; an aspa¬ 
ragus bed, is to trench the ground two spades deep, and 
then return the earth thus removed, mixed with alternate 
layers of nearly an equal quantity of stable manure, until 
the top of the bed is six inches above the surface of tbej 
ground. But a great improvement on one part of this! 
process is—after each layer of soil is thrown on the pre-j 
ceding layer of manure, to intermix it very thoroughly ! 
with the manure, by means of a coarse iron rake, potatoej 
hook, or other suitable tool. This thorough admixture! 
of soil and manure, though scarcely ever practiced, is of! 
the greatest importance, as large lumps of pure manure,! 
and of earth, without being finely divided and interfused, J 
form but a poor material for the extension of the fine! 
and delicate fibres of the growing plants. 
The bed being ready for the reception of plants from! 
the seed bed, which should be removed with the least[ 
possible injury to the roots, proceed to lay off the trenches! 
for the rows. One of the greatest errors with most cul¬ 
tivators is crowding their plants too closely together; 
they wish, after so much labor in the preparation of a 
fine bed, to obtain the largest possible supply from it, but 
defeat their own purpose by the slender and diminished 
growth resulting from such treatment. The nearest pos¬ 
sible distance which ought ever to be admitted in an aspa¬ 
ragus bed, is one foot apart in the row, and eighteen inches 
betu-een the rows. Thus, if the trenched bed is four feet 
wide, only two rows can be admitted, instead of four or 
five as usually practised. This may be seen by the fol¬ 
lowing diagram, the dots indicating the plants, which 
fingers. The depth should be such that two or three 
inches of earth may be spread on the crowns of the plants. 
The beds may be made of any length to suit cultivators. 
One a hundred and fifty feet long and four feet wide will 
supply an abundance for a moderate sized family. 
After a bed is transplanted, it should remain uncut for 
two seasons. Cutting sooner will greatly injure its 
subsequent thriftiness. 
If it is remembered that the two chief requisites for 
success, are plenty of room for the growth of the plants, 
and a deep, fertile soil, no one need be at a loss in the cul¬ 
tivation of this fine vegetable. Good, constant, and 
cleanly culture, as every one must know, is indispensable. 
These requisites are of vastly greater consequence than 
large varieties merely. Indeed, the fact that with good 
cultivation and management, no plants are small, and 
without that none are large, has led many intelligent 
persons to suppose that the difference between giant and 
small varieties is owing entirely to these circumstances, 
and they are not far wrong. 
One advantage which may be derived from planting 
the rows more distant than is usual, besides large growth, is 
the facility of keeping the ground cultivated, alight plow 
drawn by one horse being passed freely between them. 
With such distances, and the facilities afforded for horse 
cultivation, much finer plants may be had from a rich 
deeply plowed soil only, than without them from a 
trenched bed two feet deep, though depth and distance 
combined are the best. 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
are placed, not opposite, but alternating with each other, 
which gives the more space between them. If there are 
eighteen inches of space between the rows, then there 
will be fifteen inches from the rows to the edge of the 
bed, which is none too much for the proper extension of 
the roots. The trenches for the plants should be made 
six inches deep, and wide enough to admit the roots 
spread out horizontally, which must be done with the 
Buckwheat Cakes, after standing to rise all night, 
are much improved by adding, just before baking, sour 
cream and saleratus—say a teacup full for two quarts of 
he batter. This treatment improves the flavor, and 
makes them richer and lighter. It was discovered this 
winter by a notable housekeeper in the western part of 
the state, where fine hot buckwheat cakes and keen ap¬ 
petites, on frosty mornings, often go together. 
Corn Cake. —Two teacups of buttermilk, one of sour 
cream previously sweetened with saleratus, one tabSe- 
spoonful of molasses, and Indian meal to make it nearly 
as stiff as muffins. Bake half an hour. Thoroughly tried 
by the above mentioned housekeeper, and found first rale; 
and also eafen with good gusto by the writer. 
Apple Jelly. —Slice thirteen large apples very thin 
without paring them; then cover them with water; boil 
and strain them,—and to the juice add a pound and a half 
of loaf sugar, and as much lemon-juice as your taste may 
direct. Clarify it with eggs, and boil it to a jelly. It is 
an exceedingly delicate, palatable, and beautiful dish, 
fit to grace any wedding table, the writer having partaken 
of it on such an occasion, the housekeeper above named 
forming the center of attraction at the time. It is also 
very fine in sickness. 
Domestic Yeast. —The following is copied from the 
London Gardener's Chronicle, and must be cheap and 
easy. Boil one pound of good flour, quarter of a pound 
of brown sugar, and a little salt, [how much is that?] in 
two gallons of water, for an hour. When milk warm, 
bottle it and cork it closely, and it will be fit for use in 
twenty-four hours. One pound of this yeast will make 
eighteen pounds of bread. 
FRANKLIN COLLEGE. 
From the Tennessee Agriculturist, we learn that this 
institution commenced operations on the first of January, 
with about fifty students, and that as many would probably 
apply in the course of a few months as can be accommo¬ 
dated. The President, T. Fanning, Esq., states that the 
prospects were favorable to success, which we are glad 
to hear. A greater number of mechanics are wanted, 
such as blacksmiths, coach makers, harness makers, and 
cabinet workmen; and it is stated that “ a young man 
acquainted with any of these trades, and who is willing 
to devote some four or five hours a day to honorable in¬ 
dustry, may be sure that he can at least pay for his board 
and tuition by his trade, and secure as good an education, 
in as short a time, as if he possessed millions.” 
