DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



527 



the best white celery. The early and late Wal- 

 cheron Cauliflower tarns out, after two years trial, 

 the best sorts yet proved in this country. White 

 Spanish, is the best onion for all purposes. The 

 Altringham is the best carrot, and the Autumnal 

 Marrow the best squash grown. 



A Spring Record. — It would be a very con- 

 siderable assistance in adapting rules to practice, 

 in all kinds of cultivation carried on in the United 

 States, if some definite standard of the advance of 

 the spring could be recorded and published from 

 all the principal districts of the Union — so that any 

 one could see Bt a glance what the relative state 

 of the season is in his district, as compared with 

 that in other districts farther north or south. 



Hon. J. R. Poinsett, of South Carolina, has 

 sent us the following suggestion for this purpose, 

 which meets our approval. We shall be glad to 

 receive reports based upon it from any parts of the 

 country: — 



" It has occurred to me that if the flowering of 

 the common Dog-wood (Cormis Jlorida) were no- 

 ticed in every part of the United States, for a se- 

 ries of years, it would furnish a correct estimate, 

 or at least a very near approximation, of the dif- 

 ference of seasons throughout the country ; for the 

 dog-wood grows from Maine to Florida, from the 

 sea-coast to the mountains, and blossoms every- 

 where in the early spring. This season, in our 

 neighborhood, (Greenville, S. C.) it began to put 

 forth blossoms on the 15th March, in sheltered 

 places, and was in full bloom in the woods on the 

 25th of March." 



The dog-wood is not usually in full bloom with 

 us on the Hudson till the 1st week in May. The 

 peach and cherry trees arc usually in blossom the 

 3d week in April, but the season is at least ten 

 days later than usual when we write this notice, 

 (April 18.) Ed. 



Hardiness of Plants. — We shall be glad to 

 receive from cultivators, in various parts of the 

 country, memoranda of the way in which various 

 shrubs, trees or plants, lately introduced, have 

 withstood the winter. 



In our own grounds, Weigela rosea, Spirea 

 prunifolia, pi., Budleya Lindleyana, Torreya 

 taxifolia, and the Deodar Cedar, have stood the 

 winter without the least protection. 



jlraucaria imbricata, Cryptomeria japonica, 

 Clematis Sieboldtii, and C. azurea grandiflora, 

 have done well, only covered with a few boards, 

 and may. probably, prove quite hardy. Cupres- 

 sus seinpervirens, treated in the same way, is con- 

 siderably injured. Jbies Smithii, Picca cepha- 

 lonica and Pinus excelsa are also perfectly hardy. 



therefore, they are taken up in the autumn, pot- 

 ted, and put in frames, or the green-house, till 

 spring; and then re-planted in the beds. 



winter we tried the experiment of placing 

 a large rough wooden frame, about 12 by 4 feet, 

 and 2 feel deep, over a bed of the roses. This 

 was done about the middle of November. The 

 frame was covered with old sashes, and over 

 these about two or three inches of straw. It was 

 neither opened nor examined till the first of April. 

 On removing it, about the middle of April, we 

 found all the plants in the finest order — not in the 

 least injured by the winter — and have no doubt 

 that they will bloom much more finely than when 

 lifted and potted in the ordinary way. By plant- 

 ing Tea roses in masses or beds, they can be 

 easily and perfectly protected in this way. with- 

 out disturbing their roots. 



Tea Roses. — This delicious class of roses is. it 

 is well known, too tender to bear our winters. 

 When covered like the other China roses, they are 

 usually destroyed, or so much injured, north of 

 New- York, that they are of little value. Usually, 



How to winter Carnations. — There is per- 

 haps no plant which is a greater favorite than the 

 Carnation, and which is on the whole cultivated 

 with so little success in this country. The main 



Fig. 117. 

 dilflculty, it must be confessed, is in keeping the 

 plants through the winter. When taken up, put 

 in pots, and kept in frames or green-houses, they 

 are liable to so many casualties that there are few 

 gardeners who maintain a good collection for five 

 years together. 



What we want, is some easy mode of keeping 

 the plants through the winter in the open border. 

 Such a mode we hit upon last November; and the 

 success is so complete that we hasten to lay it 

 before our floral readers. 



Let us suppose your Carnations growing in the 

 beds in the autumn, — the layers still attached to 

 the mother plants. At the approach of winter, 

 take any common box, six inches or more deep, 

 wide enough to cover the bed, and minus the lid 

 or cover. Turn this box over the bed of Carna- 

 tions; if the bed is large, it will require several 

 boxes. Raise the box, on the north side, about 

 three inches, to admit air and light; and in order 

 to prevent mice from entering and devouring the 

 plants, drive down stakes all round the opening, 

 a, (see fig. 117,) close enough to prevent their 

 ingress, while the air and light will still be ad- 

 mitted. 



The box remains over this Carnation bed till 

 April, or when the spring weather becomes set- 

 tled. Then it is gradually raised, and finally 

 taken oil. The plants are in better health than 

 we have ever seen them when preserved in frames 

 — not the least drawn or weakened. All that re- 

 mains now, is to prepare a fresh bed, take off the 

 layers and plant them. In this way, the Carna- 

 tion may be cultivated by everybody with very 



