In the Garden
The laying down of a new asparagus bed has been the pride of the week, for this is one of those long-term plans come to action, and great care has to be taken in every detail. I was advised by one theorist that the old practice should still be followed. This was to dig down for four feet, and lay a base two feet thick of rotten wood before spreading the manure and filling in for the planting of the new roots. I call this a counsel of perfection which I would like to follow ; but, lacking the possibility of finding so much rotten wood, I have had to be content with using the whole of last year's compost material, plus a hundred- weight of bone-meal.
Life is at last beginning to show its real powers in the vegetable garden, and row upon row of delicate green now breaks the monotony of the carefully prepared beds. The latest seed to go in is scorzonera, that black-rooted, radish-like vegetable with an attractive earthy flavour.
The pride of the garden this week is the mass of polyanthus and cowslips. Wallflowers arc late, but full of bud, and in a few days, if the sun appears, we shall have their velvet to rest our delight upon.
RICHARD CHURCH.
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