DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



one never sees in a nursery, pleasure 

 ground, or garden, is the American Holly. It 

 is not a tender tree, for it grows in the eastern 

 part of Massachusetts. And it is not a rare 

 tree, for in New- Jersey, Mai-yland,and Virgin- 

 ia, the woods in many places abound with fine 

 specimens, from six to thirty feet high. At 

 this season of the year, nothing is more beauti- 

 ful than these holly trees, laden with berries of 

 the richest coral color, which contrast so finely 

 with the fine green foliage. This, our native 

 holly, is very much like the European, except 

 the fuliage is a lighter green and less glossy. 

 It is also hardier. Yet it would probably be 

 found difficult to purchase twenty plants of the 

 American Holly in any nursery in America — 

 consequently nobody plants it, and few people 

 know any thing about it. We think it is so lit- 

 tle planted, because it takes some years to raise 

 it from seed, and nurserymen, therefore, neg- 

 lect it for shrubs more easily turned into mo- 

 ney, and partly because it requires a point or 

 two of attention in establishing it. It does not 

 grow well in open exposed sites, nor in heavy 

 clayey soil. Choo.se a sheltered site — under the 

 partial shade of trees or buildings — and give it 

 a light gravelly or sandy soil, and it will soon 

 repay one for the trouble of planting. The 

 finest garden specimens that we remember to 

 have seen, are two we saw last month, standing 

 on the grounds near the President's house, 

 "Washington. They were pictures of beauty 

 in their rich green and coral dress, that would 

 cheat any winter landscape of its dreariness. 



Improved Sweet Corn. — Wc find the fol- 

 lowing in the Working Farmer, from the pen 

 of Professor Mapes — who not only writes 

 good editorials, but cultivates, as we hear, on 

 his farm near Newark, some rather remarkable 

 crops — such as are, for product per acre, not 

 often seen in that state. The Stowell Sweet 

 Corn will, we should think, be much sought 

 after. 



" Stowell's Sweet Corn. — This is a new 

 sort, and is every way superior to any other we 

 have seen, for after being pulled from the ground 

 the stalks may be placed in a dry cool nlace, 

 free from moisture, frost, or violent currents 

 of air, (to prevent drying) and the grains will 

 remain full and milkj' for many months. Or, the 

 ears may be pulled in August, and by tying a 

 string loosely around the small end, to prevent 

 the husks from drying away from the ears, they 



may be laid on shelves and kept moist and suita- 

 ble for boiling, for a year or more. This corn 

 is a hybrid, between the Menomony soft corn 

 and the northern Sugar corn, and was first 

 grown by Mr. Nathan Stowell of Burlington, 

 New Jersey. We purchased from Mr. S. a 

 number of ears dried for seed, and he presented 

 us with a few ears surrounded by the husks, 

 grown the previous summer, the inner leaves 

 of the husks of which, and the corn and cob, 

 were in as green a state as when pulled the pre- 

 vious August. Near the close of the late fair 

 of the American Institute, I presented the 

 managers with two ears pulled in August, 1849, 

 and twelve ears pulled in August, 1850. They 

 were boiled and served up together, and ap- 

 peared to be alike, and equal to corn fresh from 

 the garden. 



" The ears are larger than the usual sweet 

 corn, and contain twelve rows. To save the 

 seed, it is necessary to place them in strong 

 currents of air, freed from most of the husks, 

 and assisted slightly by tire-heat when nearly 

 dry. In damp places this corn soon moulds 

 and becomes worthless. The seed, when dry, 

 is but little thicker than writing paper, but is a 

 sure grower. The stalks are very sweet and 

 valuable as fodder. The seed may be procured 

 from Mr. Stowell, or from ourself." 



Making Fish Ponds. — Professor Bryan, 

 of Philadelphia, publishes in the Plow, Loom 

 and Anvil, an interesting article on the con- 

 struction and value of fish ponds — especially in 

 the interior of the cp,untry. He gives an account 

 of an artificial pond, between 200 and 300 feet 

 square, on the farm of Gideon Lee, Esq., near 

 Seneca Lake, N. Y., which was made by dam- 

 ing up a sloping surface backed by marshy 

 ground. The supply of water is abundant — so 

 that the overflow moves a grist mill. Some 

 seventeen trout were put into this pond seven 

 years ago. Since that time, two thousand 

 large and fine fish have been taken from the 

 pond, and the table of the family is at all times 

 well supplied. Mr. Delafield, in the same 

 neighborhood, has an artificial pond made by 

 an embankment in the same way. It is stock- 

 ed with fish, and not only supples his table, but 

 allows fish once a week for his farm laborers. 

 These ponds are also useful in affording a sup- 

 ply of ice to fill the ice house-every winter. 



In England the carp is the favorite pond-fish, 

 growing to a large size and becoming fat very 

 readily. It is a good fish, especially adapted for 

 ponds, and has been naturalized in several pla- 

 ces in this country. 



For trout, unless the surface of the water is 



