growth near and upon your orchard lands, and never rob the
soil of its honest dues. Give judicious and thorough cultivation and
pruning; and with our generous soils and climate, I do not believe the
child is yet born that will live to see our orchards languish on account
of poverty of soil, or any necessity arise for the importation of
fertilizers."

The Country Gentleman says two things are necessary for the growing of
good asparagus, namely, plenty of room for the plant to grow, and
copious manuring. The latter is best applied to thick beds by covering
the whole surface with manure two or three inches thick, late in autumn,
and forking it in very early in spring, before the new shoots start.
Thick beds, however, should not be planted, but the plants allowed three
or four feet each way to each. Three by five is a common and suitable
distance, and large stalks may be obtained in this way.

Charles Merritt, of Battle Creek, has been very successful with
strawberries. His plan is to plant rows about two and one-half feet
apart and plants nine inches in the row; he prefers the spring time. He
manures highly, cultivates thoroughly and mulches with clean straw late
in the autumn. The next season he gets a large crop, and, while he is
taking it off, another patch is being treated in a similar manner for
the next year's crop. The second year with any bed he simply pulls out
the weeds, and after picking turns it under. This plan proves to be
satisfactory.

T. F. Leeper, of Warsaw Horticultural Society, says: I have been greatly
interested in the condition of orchards this season, and have examined
quite a number. One orchard in my neighborhood died during the summer--I
supposed it was winter-killed, but an investigation showed that the
roots had been destroyed by mice. Last spring I reported a number of
trees in my orchard, winter-killed. These trees have been dug up and it
appears that they too, were killed by mice. In my orchard the greatest
injury by winter-killing has occurred in the draws or low places and I
would not plant another orchard without tile drawing such places.

[Illustration]

FLORICULTURE

Gleanings by an Old Florist.

THE PANSY.

Gray, in his Manual, says: "Viola tricolor (pansy or heart's-ease) is
common in dry or sandy soil. From New York to Kentucky and southward,
doubtless only a small portion of the garden pansy runs wild.
Naturalized from Europe."

Seen in this condition the flower