83§ TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



our 'ntire agricultural people, remembering that there is no occupation in 

 which one-quarter of the amount of capital is invested, and that the better 

 the farmer does, the cheaper will be bread. 



SPPwING FLOWERS. 



R. G. Pardee. — One of the readiest and most useful liquid manures for 

 flowers is soap suds. Sulphate of potash, an ounce or two dissolved in a 

 pail of water, makes a valuable li(iuid manure for flowers. Hen manure 

 should always be dissolved, and applied in liquid form. Cow manure 

 should be treated in the same way. This is the best application for rose 

 bushes. I use nothing on my garden but liquid manure. Such things as 

 I can buy aud dissolve, such as sulphate of pola h, nitrate of potash, nitrate 

 of soda, glauber salts, guano, &c ; almost everything of the manure kind 

 may be put in an old cask set in the ground, and used upon the flowers and 

 plants of a small garden. Only dilute it well, and there is no danger or 

 trouble about liquid manure killing plants. 



Judge Meigs. — I have some questions from a lady. Miss Randall, of 

 Lexington avenue, about flowers. She asks — Is the Dielytra a hardy plant ? 



Andrew S. Fuller. — Yes, perfectly — as hardy as the Peona. 



Judge Meigs. — Will the Hydrangea grow from cuttings ? 



IM ". Pardee. — Yes, but every one cannot make it grow. Will common 

 garden soil grow cranberries ? 



J.,. Gr. Pardee. — I have not been successful. I have some doubts about 

 cranberrj^-growing in garden soil being made profitable, though some persons 

 succeed pretty well. 



Will the currant bear best in the tree shape ? Mr. Pardee and Mr. Pell 

 say tree shape. Mr. Fuller says the tree shape will want renewing every 

 threb' years. Will the Holly grow well here ? Several gentlemen answered 

 Yes, the American Holly. It grows back of Brooklyn. 



VITALITY OF SEEDS. 

 R. G. Pardee. — Much inquiry is made as to the length of time in which 

 seeds may be safely trusted to germinate. If properly kept, I reply as 

 follows : Parsnips and rhubarb, two years ; beans and peas, two or three 

 years ; carrot, nasturstiums, mustard, par.-ley and lettuce, three to four years; 

 pepper, cabbage, spinach, tomato, turnip, sal-ify, radish, and egg plant, 

 four to five years ; asparagus, onion, celery, okra, broccoli, and cauliflower, 

 five to six years; beets, cucumber, gourd, melon, squash, pumpkins, corn 

 £.i!a other grains, six to ten years and longer. The great secret of keeping 

 seeds is to have them well matured, and kept cool and dry. It is impos- 

 sible to say how long seeds may be made to preserve vitality, with proper 

 care ; but it is certain that any sort may be spoiled in any year by damp 

 and heat. 



FERTILIZING SEEDS. 

 Solon Robinson. — I have the following communication from D. B. Taylor 

 of this city, upon a new use of sugar for fertilizing seeds. He writes : 



