In no class of vegetables has there been so much improvement of late years as in celery. The chief effort of improvers has been in the direction of getting plants with an abundance of short and thick leaves. The old tall form, with only some five or six stalks fit to eat, costs immensely in earthing up, and is not the best adapted to dainty tables. The Boston Market was a great advance in this direction, since when there have been a number of dwarf and stocky kinds introduced. It will not be long before we get varieties so broad and stocky in their growth, that a simple tying up of the leaves, as used to be done with the Cos lettuce, will be all that is needed to blanch the leaf stalks. This will save an immense amount of labor in earthing up. It is still a question whether it is best to dig a six-inch deep ditch in which to plant celery, or to set the plants on the surface of the ground. Where the culture is by the plough, ditches are seldom thought of, as the plough can lift the earth required for blanching; but for garden or spade culture, the lifting of so much earth adds materially to the labor. Again, the ditch or trench permits water to be used to good advantage, and the manure is dug in where it will do the most good.

On the other hand, it usually requires more manure for trench culture than for surface culture, because sub-soil is usually poorer than surface soil. It is also charged that pithy celery is more apt to follow trench culture than surface culture. There are some, however, who contend that pithy celery comes from a too copious supply of water to celery in trenches, rather than to the fact of trench culture. All these differences of opinion, however, show how little is really known of the exact conditions necessary to the best success in growing celery.

Very many of the answers as to the best methods of growing fruits and vegetables, depend on circumstances. The grower of tomatoes for instance, lets the plants trail over the ground at will, when he has a few acres under culture; but those who have little ground to spare, find great advantages in the use of stakes or trellises. Besides, much finer fruit can be had from plants, supported, than from plants left to ramble at will. They do best on stakes set firmly in the ground, four feet apart. On account of the great weight of a tomato in fruit, it is very difficult to keep the plants tied to smooth stakes. For this reason, portions of trees that afford 6 inches or so of side branches, are excellent when they can be had. When nothing but smooth stakes are to be obtained, the twine used for tying up the plants should first have a lap around the stake, which is some safeguard against slipping. These heavy tomato stakes, should be planted before the tomato vines are set.

It is not generally known that cucumbers for garden use, do much better when on some such stakes as recommended for tomatoes. They climb small by tendrils, which cannot attach themselves to thick stakes. For cucumbers, therefore, a lot of twiggy brush-wood should be tied around the heavy stake. The cucumber will then climb up easily.

In the Eastern States, much difficulty is being found in the asparagus culture, from the ravages of the Asparagus beetle. It is a very pretty little insect, but a terrible enemy to deal with. It can, however, be readily destroyed by the use of Paris green or London purple. It must not be forgotten that this is a poison very dangerous to human life; and the application, therefore, should only be entrusted to careful hands. We should look as closely after its use, as we would to a lot of gunpowder. The application should not be made till after all cutting for the kitchen has ceased for the season; and it must be well seen to that none of it blows on to cabbages, lettuce or other crops that would collect it between their leaves. As we might say of gunpowder to the community, so we might say of arsenical poisons to the gardener and fruit grower: it is one of the most beneficial of discoveries, but must be intelligently and carefully used.

Dwarf pears - that is to say, pears grafted on quince roots - are not nearly as popular as they were a few years ago, chiefly because it requires very much more intelligent knowledge of the principles of gardening to attend to them properly, than most persons can give them. The Standard pear, when once planted, will in a measure take care of itself. The Dwarf pear must have continual knowledge and skill. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been wasted on them. The man who looks after the cow or the horse, and can mow and keep clean the grass and grounds, cannot be expected to manage a Dwarf pear tree. Still, in good hands, the Dwarf pear is a very desirable thing to have.

In planting Dwarf pears, it is very important to have them on a spot that has a moist sub-soil, either naturally or made so by sub-soiling or mixing some material with the soil that will give out moisture in dry weather. Trees already planted on a dry gravelly subsoil, should have a circle dug out two feet deep, and two or three feet from the tree. This should be filled up with well-enriched soil. If the Dwarf pear does not grow freely, it is a sign that something is wrong. It should at once be severely pruned, so as to aid in producing a vigorous growth.

Grafting on Small Roots.

A B - Scions prepared in two ways for ingrafting of roots. C - Root trimmed for insertion.

D - Insertion of root (the lower Bud being below the surface of the ground).

Grafting can be continued till the buds of the trees are nearly pushed into leaf. Sometimes, from a pressure of other work, some valuable scions have been left on hand too late to work. It may be interesting to know, that if such scions are put into the ground, much the same as if they were cuttings, they will keep good for six weeks or two months, by which time the bark will run freely, when the scions may be treated as buds, and will succeed just as well as buds taken from young summer shoots.

Buds that were inoculated last fall should not be forgotten; but as soon as vegetation has pushed forth, the buds should be examined, and all other issues from the old stock taken away. It may also be necessary to make a tie, in order to get the young shoot of the bud to go in the way from which you would not hereafter have it depart.

Few things mark a well-kept garden better than an abundance of all kinds of herbs. Now is the only time to make the beds. Sage, thyme and lavender grow from slips, which may be set in now, precisely as if an edging of box were to be made of them. They grow very easily. Basil and Sweet Marjoram must be sown in a rich, warm border.