Anemone Japonica. 165 



In the soil, I placed no charcoal or lime rubbish ; but in 

 preparing the manure, or while it was decomposing, kept it 

 carefully covered with sulphate of lime, thus converting the 

 volatile ammonia into a fixed salt, and the sulphate of lime 

 into a carbonate. To this cause, I ascribe a very unusual 

 fertility in all my house-plants during the past winter : they 

 have done better than when watered once a week with guano. 

 By the way, would it not be better for horticulture and agri- 

 culture, if a part at least of the ^'Plaster" which is now so 

 freely used, and sometimes so injudiciously, were thrown on 

 the compost heap, instead of being '■'■ jjlcmted" in potato-hills? 



While I am writing, I wish to recal to your mind, the va- 

 riety of potatoes, which 1 have been raising for several years. 

 I find the sealsfoot improve upon acquaintance. The crop is 

 invariably large, fine-grained, and less likely to rot than any 

 kind I am acquainted with. I have used no others since last 

 October, although having Chenangoes and Batemans in my 

 cellar. 



Ki7igsion, Mass., March, 1848. 



We can add our testimony in favor of the excellence of the 

 sealsfoot potato : we have ourselves been eating of this variety 

 all winter, in preference to any other, not excepting the East- 

 ports, which have hitherto been esteemed the best to be found 

 in our market. We can also add, that it is exceedingly exempt 

 from rot, for our crop, last year, suffered much less than the 

 Chenango and several others. — Ed. 



Art. VIII. Anemone Japonica ; its Cidlivation, Propagation, 

 (^c. ; with an Engraving of the Flower. By the Editor. 



Among the many fine acquisitions to our collections of plants 

 made by Mr. Fortime in his expedition to China, the Anemone 

 japonica {^fig. 18,) holds a conspicuous place. Having some- 

 what the general appearance of the common garden anemone, 

 it possesses a neat and ample foliage, and its flowers appear 

 in terminal clusters on the tall stems which rise up above the 



