General Notices. 177 



experience, though often leading to successful results, would 

 attain their objects in a speedier manner, if guided by that 

 aid which science will ever afford. 



The distribution of Mr. Norton's address must awaken a 

 deep in.erest in the important subject of agricultural chemistry. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Japan Liliums. — If half the attention was paid to the cultivation of Lil- 

 iums that is paid to the tulip, we might expect the most splendid results 

 from crossing. Independently of crosses, the great diversity in their forms, 

 and their various seasons of flowering, must render them of greater value 

 than even a tulip bed. A person may enjoy a bed of hlies for several 

 months, which cannot be the case with tulips. The plan which T should 

 propose for those who wish to grow Liliums to perfection is this : — A bed 

 should be formed proportioned to the number that the grower has got to 

 plant. The common soil should be taken out to the depth of three feet ; and 

 it should be filled up with the following compost : — Two barrow loads of 

 turfy loam from a pasture field, with an equal portion of turfy peat ; to 

 these, add one barrow load of leaf soil, and also an equal portion of sharp 

 sand, with one barrow load of well rotted manure, and so on in proportion, 

 till such time as you have got as much together as will fill the bed. Let 

 all this be thrown up into a heap for a year before it is wanted, and fre- 

 quently turned in the course of that time. If the bottom is wet, it would 

 be well to fill up the bed one foot with broken stone, and to lay upon that 

 turf, with the grassy side upwards, as it will not rot so soon as if it was 

 turned downwards. Over this should be laid six inches of well rotted ma- 

 nure. With a dry bottom, it will require no stone, but only laying the 

 manure at the bottom of the bed. The bed should then be filled up, to 

 about two feet and a half, with the compost before mentioned. After it is 

 filled in, it should remain for about a fortnight before it is planted ; so that 

 the soil may get well settled down. The roots should be planted as early 

 in January as the weather will admit. The planting of them should com- 

 mence with the tallest towards the top of the bed, and so on till you reach 

 the bottom of the bed with the lowest species. The crowns should be six 

 inches below the surface when planted. When finished planting, the bed 

 should be hooped over and covered with mats every night, and every day 

 that is frosty ; but every fine day the mats should be taken off, and even 

 when raining, as the rain will do them no harm, but good. The mats 

 should be put on as long as there is any appearance of frost. I should have 

 said that, when planting, it would be necessary to put a little sand around 



