the plants, so as to level the ridges, giving them at the same time a neat, rounding form.

The beds may remain in this condition until there is an appearance of hard frost, when they should be covered with light dung, litter, or leaves of trees, to preserve the crowns and roots from intense cold. In this manner the roots will remain in perfect safety all the winter. As soon as the severe frosts are over, the beds must be uncovered, and when the young shoots begin to appear above ground, then, and not till then, level down the beds, throwing the earth into the alleys or trenches, and round them in a neat manner. Then dig in the short manure, and loosen all the earth around the plants. At the same time, examine the number of shoots arising on each stool, and select three of the strongest and healthiest on every stool, which are to remain; all above that number are to be broken off close to the roots with the hand, unless you want some for making new plantations, in which case an extra number for that purpose is to remain on the parent plants, until they are about eight or ten inches high, when they are to be slipped off, and planted in a bed prepared in the same manner as directed for the young plants, taking care at the same time to close the earth about the crowns of the roots, and draw it up a little to the remaining suckers.

The spring dressing should be given when the plants are in the above-described state, whether that occurs in February, March, or April, occasioned by the difference of climate in the respective States, or by the earliness or lateness of the spring.

The gardeners near London generally take off the side suckers, or small Artichokes, when they are about the size of a hen's egg. These meet with a ready sale in the markets, and the principal heads that are left are always larger and more handsome. The maturity of a full-grown Artichoke is apparent by the opening of the scales; and it should always be cut off before the flower appears in the centre; the stem should be cut close to the ground at the same time.

Artichokes are esteemed a luxury by epicures. To have them in perfection, they should be thrown into cold water as soon as gathered, and after having been soaked and well washed, put into the boiler, when the water is hot, with a little salt, and kept boiling until tender, which generally requires, for full-grown Artichokes, from an hour and a half to two hours. When taken up drain and trim them; then serve them up with melted butter, pepper, salt, and such other condiment as may best suit the palate.

This plant is a native of cold climates, and is found growing wild in Russia and Poland, where it is eaten by the cattle the same as grass. It will endure the severity of our winters, and produce buds when the weather becomes mild; but as garden products are generally scarce after a hard winter, the gardener who studies his interest will make the most of the spring season, and raise all he can before the market becomes glutted. To this end he is recommended to prepare for forcing this vegetable as soon as the coldest of the winter is past. (See article on Forcing Vegetables.)

Asparagus may be raised by sowing the seed in the fall as soon as ripe, or in March and the early part of April. One ounce of seed will produce about a thousand plants. It requires some of the best ground in the garden. The seed may be sown in drills, ten or twelve inches asunder, and covered about an inch with light earth. When the plants are up they will need a careful hoeing, and if well cultivated and kept free

from weeds, they will be large enough to transplant when a year old. Some keep them in the nursery-led until they are two years old.

If the beds are properly dressed every year, they will produce well for twenty years or more. New beds may be made in autumn, or before the buds get far advanced in spring-say in February, March, or April, according to situation and circumstances. The ground for the bed must not be wet, nor too strong or stubborn, but such as is moderately light and pliable, so that it will readily fall to pieces in digging or raking, and in a situation that enjoys the full rays of the sun. It should have a large supply of well-rotted dung, three or four inches thick, and then be regularly trenched two spades deep, and the dung buried equally in each trench twelve or fifteen inches below the surface. When this trenching is done, lay two or three inches of thoroughly-rotted manure over the whole surface, and dig the ground over again, eight or ten inches deep, mixing this top dressing, and incorporating it well with the earth.

ARRANGING THE YOUNG PLANTS.

In family gardens, it is customary to divide the ground thus prepared into beds, allowing four feet for every four rows of plants, with alleys two feet and a half wide between each bed. Strain your line along the bed six inches from the edge; then with a spade cut out a small trench or drill close to the line, about six inches deep, making that side next the line nearly upright; when one trench is opened, plant that before you open another, placing the plants upright ten or twelve inches distant in the row, and let every row be twelve inches apart.

The plants must not be placed flat in the bottom of the trench, but nearly upright against the back of it, and so that the crown of the plants may also stand upright, and two or three inches below the surface of the ground, spreading their roots somewhat regularly against the back of the trench, and at the same time drawing a little earth up against them with

the hand as you place them, just to fix the plants in their due position until the row is planted. When one row is thus placed, draw the earth into the trench over the plants with a rake or hoe, and then proceed to open another drill or trench, as before directed; and fill and cover it in the same manner, and so on till the whole is planted. Then let the surface of the beds be raked smooth, and the stones removed.

Some gardeners, with a view to have extra large heads, place their plants sixteen inches apart in the rows, instead of twelve; and by planting them in the quincunx mannerthat is, by commencing the second row eight inches from the end of the first, and the fourth even with the second-the plants will form rhomboidal squares, instead of rectangular ones, and every plant will thus have room to expand its roots and leaves, growing very luxuriantly.

The above directions are intended for family gardens. Those who may wish to raise Asparagus in large quantities for market, should prepare the ground with a plough, and plant two rows in each bed, which may be carried to any length required. If several beds are wanted, they may be planted in single rows, four or five feet apart, in order that the plough may be worked freely between them. Frequent ploughing will cause the roots to spread, so as to widen the beds; and the winter dressing may be performed in a great measure with the plough. After the Asparagus is cut, the ground between the beds may be ploughed, and planted with Cabbage, Potatoes, or any other vegetable usually cultivated in rows.

WINTER DRESSING OF ASPARAGUS-BEDS.

About the beginning of November, if the stalks of Asparagus turn yellow, which is a sign of their having finished their growth for the season, cut them down close to the earth, carry them off the ground, and clear the beds carefully from weeds. Asparagus-beds must have an annual dressing of good manure; let it be laid equally over the beds, two or three

inches thick, after which, with a fork made for the purpose (which should have three flat tines), dig in the dung quite down to the crowns of the plants, by which means the roots will be greatly benefited; as the winter rains will wash the manure down among them. It is the practice with some gardeners to dig the alleys at every autumn dressing, and cover the beds with the soil taken out; this may be done for the first two years after the beds are made, but not afterwards. When the plants are in full growth, their roots and crowns extend into the alleys, and digging them up frequently will destroy plants, or render them too weak to produce buds in perfection. The beds will be greatly benefited if covered to the depth of several inches with leaves, sea-weed, or long litter from the livery-stables.

The seedling Asparagus should also have a slight dressing. Remove the weeds, and then spread light dung over it, to the depth of one or two inches, to defend the crown of the plants from intense cold.

SPRING DRESSING OF THE BEDS.

This work should be done from about the latter end of March to the middle of April, or just before the buds begin to rise. After clearing away all long litter, spread the short dung over the whole surface, and dig it in. If the alleys be dug at the same time, it will be beneficial to the plants. Care must be taken at this season not to wound the crowns with the tines of the fork; but forking the beds should not be neglected, as admitting the sun and rain into the ground induces the plants to throw up buds of superior size. To promote such a desirable object, the ground should be kept clear of weeds at all seasons, as these greatly impoverish the soil, and frequently smother the plants.

Every bed of Asparagus should be allowed to grow undisturbed, after the buds or stalks have been removed for a few weeks; otherwise the beds will not produce abundantly next season. There is great danger of injuring the productiveness