containing too large a proportion of sand, is liable to become violently hot in summer, for this is extremely injurious to these plants. After the plants are up, they should be kept free from weeds, and the earth often loosened around them. The business of transplanting may be done in cloudy or wet weather, at any time after the plants are from nine to twelve inches high. Having fixed upon a proper soil and situation, lay on it a good quantity of rotten dung, and trench the ground one good spade or eighteen inches deep, incorporating the manure therewith; this being done, take up the plants, and after shortening their tap roots a little, and dressing their leaves, plant them with a` dibble, in rows five feet asunder, and two feet from plant to plant, leaving part of their green tops above ground, and the hearts of the plants free from any earth over them, and give each plant a little water to settle the roots.

The winter dressing of Artichokes is an important operation; on it depends much of their future success. This should not be given them as long as the season continues mild, that they may have all possible advantage of growth, and be gradually inured to the increasing cold weather; but it should not be deferred too late, lest by the sudden setting in of hard frost, to which we are subject in the Northern States, the work be neglected, and the plants consequently exposed to devastation and loss.

In the first place, cut all the large leaves close to the ground, leaving the small ones which rise from the hearts of the plants; after this, line and mark out a trench in the middle, between each row, from fourteen to sixteen inches wide, presuming that the rows are five feet apart, as directed. Then dig the surface of the beds lightly from trench to trench, burying the weeds, and as you proceed, gather the earth around the crowns of the plants to the height of about six inches, placing it in gently between the young rising leaves, without burying them entirely under it; this done, dig the trenches one spade deep, and distribute the earth equally

between and on each side of the plants, so as to level the ridges, giving them, at the same time, a neat rounding form; finish by casting up with a shovel the loose earth out of the bottom of the trenches evenly over the ridges, in order that the water occasioned by heavy rains, &c., may immediately run off; on which account the trenches ought to have a gentle declivity, as the lodgment of water about the roots in winter is the greatest evil and danger to which they are exposed, even greater than the most severe frosts to which we are subject.

The beds are to remain so, until there is an appearance of hard frost, when they should be covered with light dung, litter, leaves of trees, or the like, the better to preserve the crowns and roots from its rigour. In this manner, the roots will remain in perfect safety all the winter. As soon as the very severe frosts are over, the beds must be uncovered, and when you perceive the young shoots begin to appear above ground, or rather when they are one or two inches up, then, and not till then, proceed to 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 looking on every stool, which are to remain; all above that number are to be slipped off close to the roots with the hand, unless you want some to make new plantations with, in which case an extra number for that purpose are to remain on the parent plants, until they are about eight or ten inches high from their roots, or junction with the old plants, 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.

Observe, the spring dressing is to be given when the plants are in the above-described state, whether that happens 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 its buds, when the weather gets 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 he 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 they are a year old. Some keep them in the nursery bed until they are two years old.

A plantation of Asparagus, if the beds are properly dressed every year, will produce good buds for twenty years or more.

New plantations of Asparagus 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.

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, with a rake or hoe draw the earth into the trench over the plants, 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 clear from stones, &c.

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 manner, that 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 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