436 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



of all good husbandry.' The greater value of 

 lime over that of magnesia, if any (in the maize 

 crop,) is in mechanically and chemically influ- 

 encing the soil, aside from serving directly as 

 food to the plant. Indeed, it is by no means a 

 settled question, that magnesia, when properly 

 applied, exerts a less beneficial influence upon 

 the soil than lime. Neither of those bodies, 

 however, possesses the property of maintaining, 

 unimpaired, the original richness of a soil. Hence 

 one cannot be strictly said to be more valuable 

 than the other. There is an equal necessity of 

 returning any or all of the other inorganic bodies 

 which are removed from the land, as they become 

 less in quantity in the soil than is necessary am- 

 ply to supply the healthy demands of the plant, as 

 there is in returning either or both of these as 

 they become deficient." Salisbury's Analyses, kc. 

 Transactions Ag. Society. 



Cincinnati Hort. Society. — We have just re- 

 ceived the prize list of this society, for the an- 

 nual exhibition, to come off on the 11th and 13th 

 of September next. It is arranged on a very 

 liberal scale, — the premiums being such as may 

 very properly be deemed some compensation to 

 those who take especial pains to raise fine fruits, 

 and give their time and attention at exhibitions. 

 We extract the following from a list of about 150 

 prizes: " Best display of apples, silver cup, $20 ; 

 best 10 varieties, $10. Best display of pears, 

 silver cup, $20; best 6 varieties, not less than 6 

 of each, $10." The same for peaehes, four large 

 prizes for grapes, and equally liberal prizes for 

 other classes of fruits, vegetables and flowers, in- 

 cluding a $25 silver cup for the best design of cut 

 flowers. 



We also notice the following liberal item among 

 the Rules for the show: 



" With a view to the greatest usefulness, the 

 society has opened the door to all cultivators, ir- 

 respective of location ; and respectfully invites 

 them to join in competing for the prizes, and to 

 aid the society in its efforts. Competitors who 

 are not members are expected to pay one dollar, 

 as a recording fee for their articles, and other- 

 wise conform to the rules and regulations of the 

 same." 



'• The Ohio great agricultural fair, the Ohio 

 Mechanics' Institute exhibition, the assembling of 

 the American Pomological Congress, are all ap- 

 pointed to take place at the same time in our city, 

 making it an occasion of unusual interest to all ; 

 especially to our brethren at a distance, it offers 

 great inducements to attend. It is exceedingly 

 desirable that the fruit-growers of the west should 

 bring specimens of their collections for the inspec- 

 tion of the Pomological Congress, which will be 

 composed of the most intelligent from all the 

 states and the Canadas." 



New Verbenas. — Dear Sir — I intend sending 

 you, in a few days, some half dozen new Verbe- 



nas, that I am sure will not only greatly please 

 and improve your collection, but show something 

 new in the way of foreign varieties of this beautiful 

 "summer long" ornament of all our tasteful little 

 gardens, as well as an unequaled class of plants 

 for beds or masses cut in grass lawns, vases, &c. 

 An opinion has been long abroad (on no authority 

 whatever) that the seedlings of the English flo- 

 rists were not to be compared with those of our 

 own country; many gardeners from the other side 

 joining in the opinion, who, it is no breach of chari- 

 ty to presume, had never seen a good neighbor- 

 hood of London collection; — experience has 

 proved the contrary, and that many superb seed- 

 lings have been raised of late, both in England 

 and France ; nor can it be denied that the Briells 

 of New Jersey, Mr. Buist, Feast and Hovey, 

 have produced creditable sorts, yet by far the ma- 

 jority are deficient in size of the flower umbel, the 

 petal thin in substance and confusedly set, and 

 most of them having a tendency to grow upright, 

 instead of that indispensable quality, dwarf, closes 

 spreading habit, broad segment of petal, well de- 

 fined eye and good foliage, (in which there is a, 

 much difference among verbenas as among dah- 

 lias) and that have sufficient stamina not to be 

 burned out of existence by midsummer, which I 

 have found by actual experience to be so much 

 the fault that I dont intend to keep over a half 

 dozen of our own varieties in my collection. I 

 say this, not having the slightest prejudice in fa- 

 vor of foreign sorts, but as the citizens of Flora's 

 dominions are citizens of the world, and true re- 

 publicans, we must patronize the best, no matter 

 where produced. I have come to this determina- 

 tion after a successful experiment last summer 

 with a few foreign varieties. Having noticed much 

 said in the English horticultural journals, and ex- 

 hibition reports, of a new scarlet, called i; Rob- 

 inson's Defiance," and at a price (7s. 6d. sterling) 

 so much higher than usual, (2s 6d to 5s being the 

 minimum,) set on a verbena, that I resolved to 

 import this and a few others. After repeated and 

 unsuccessful attempts to get them out alive, I at 

 length caught the far famed " Defiance" with a 

 spark of life; which, with some three or four oth- 

 ers, saved from a long list, and set to work to re- 

 cover them from their sea sickness; accomplish- 

 ing this, I turned them out early in July, into a 

 bed of rich light loam, and like all sensible emi- 

 grants, they soon found they were in a " New 

 World," and before a month, began to spread 

 themselves. This was the case with especially 

 Robinson's Defiance, which formed a wide but com- 

 pact bed, and sent forth an array of scarlet 

 bloom as satisfactory as it was dazzling in colour, 

 continued without intermission under a vertical 

 sun, (although continually checked by close 

 cutting for propagation.) I have found it a dura- 

 ble variety to flower in large pots or vases. 

 With a little management, it can be made to flow- 

 er in the green-house all winter, which plants can 

 be again turned out into a bed in May ; it how- 



