The great progress which market gardening has made in cheapening the cost of producing fruit, has not been favorable to that excellence which the lovers of good fruit usually aim at. But even as a matter of profit it has come to be recognized that he who produces the best fruit makes the most money. This is especially true in regard to fruit in season, when fruit is a drug in the market. First-class fruit even then sells and always with a good profit. Hints, then, looking towards excellence, may not be out of place at this season.

To our mind much of the pleasure of fruit growing lies in learning all about fruits, - not merely the names of the varieties, but of the habits and wants of each thing we grow, and a very pleasurable part of one's garden would be that set apart for cultural experiments. There is no reason why strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, grapes, and other things, may not be tried on different cultural plans, - and the knowledge derived will be fully equal to the pleasure derived from the experiments themselves. For instance, in our last there was a note about the benefits the old gardeners found from cutting off the leaves of strawberries as soon as the fruit is mature. It would give great zest to a gardener to have a dozen plants under such a treatment side by side with a dozen under regular garden treatment; and many things do well only by special care. If, for instance, we ask the average fruit-grower why he has not such delicious raspberries as Brinkle's Orange, Hornet, or Herstine, he will tell you that they are too tender, - but if we go into the garden of the amateur fruit-grower who grows fruit because he loves to grow it, we find him not objecting to laying the canes down and covering with earth, and then they are hardy enough.

We have seen these in Germantown gardens the past season, sights truly lovely to behold, and well repaying the extra trouble given to them. It is just in such attentions as these in fact that the pleasures of gardening, aside from the mere profits, consist, - and it is the line of gardening above all that we love to cultivate.

Even vegetables, which, more than fruit, enter into the absolute necessaries of life, give to mere pleasure much material by their superior cultivation, - and we know of some people who derive as much satisfaction from their little garden patches, as others would do from a voyage round the world. For some of these we could give no suggestions that would be new to them. But there are others, younger and coming on, to whom some practical thoughts at this season may be of benefit.

Lettuces sown last month will now be large enough to set out for permanent growth. A common hot-bed frame, set on a bed of leaves or spent stable manure, will enable one to enjoy delicious salad all through the latter part of winter where sufficient protection against severe frosts can be secured. In this division of our hints, it is more of an object to preserve them through the winter for the purpose of setting out in the open air in spring. In the States this can be readily effected by their being set out in the open air in a sheltered place. Here in Pennsylvania they often do very well by having the ground thrown into ridges about six inches deep, running east and west, and the plants set out on the northern sides. They have a little straw thrown over them in severe weather, and get through the winter admirably, heading early in spring. The Early York cabbage is extensively grown in the same way. Where the climate is too severe to allow of this, they must be put under cover of shutters, as before described in our hints.

Cabbages can be preserved in such a cellar, though most prefer them in the open air. One way is to pack them closely together with their roots uppermost, and then cover them with soil, on which straw or litter is thrown to keep them from freezing. By being packed this way, the water cannot get into the hearts, which is one of the chief causes of their rotting. Where plenty of boards can be had, they may be packed with their heads uppermost, and the rain kept off by the material.

Broccoli and Endive may be taken up with balls of earth, and set in cool cellars closely together, and they will grow sufficiently - the former to produce good head, and the latter to branch beautifully all through the winter.

Asparagus beds should be cleaned, by having the old stems cut off and the soils from the alley ways dug out and thrown over beds It keeps the frost from the roots, and thus permits them to grow and lay up matter all winter for next spring's growth. Very early in spring the soil should be raked back into the alleys, so as to leave the roots but a few inches under the soil, as the nearer they are then to the sun's rays the earlier will the crop be.

Celery must have continued attention to blanching as it grows, care being exercised to prevent the soil from entering the heart. Where very fine results are desired, the plants should be protected from early severe frosts, so as to enable the plants to grow without injury as long as possible.

Roots of most kinds, such as carrots, beets, etc., should be taken up before the frost is severe. They all keep best packed in sand in the open air, but it is too inconvenient to get at them in winter; hence cellars are employed to preserve them in. Cellars for this purpose should be cool, say with temperature of about 45°, and not all dry. It is not meant that it should be damp, as the roots will become rotten, but it must be moist enough to prevent shriveling.

However, if any protection can be given so as to enable one to get at the pit in frosty weather, most things keep better so than in any way. Celery keeps very well packed in earth, so that the frost does not get at it; but it must be laid with the tops sloping, so that the water may be kept out of the heart.