262 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Feb. 39, 1832. 



wUich is life and health to plants in general, is 

 deadly poison to almost all bulbs. If he has ever 

 studied into the analysis of earths, he will be im- 

 mediately convinced of this. How many people 

 there are, who buy bulbs, with the idea that they 

 shall have a show of beautiful flowers ; they go to 

 work, prepare a bed, perhaps throw in five or six, 

 or more, barrows of fresh manure, to have them 

 grow large and thrifty. But alas ! they come up, 

 flower very weak and before another season, rot 

 and decay almost every one, as if tliey were at- 

 tacked with an epidemic disease. He has told us 

 only of tulips, and has said nothing of hyacinths, 

 or rauuncules. Tuliiis, he says, he sets out in 

 November, covers the bed on the approach of frost, 

 uncovers in April, forks over the bed with a trowel, 

 shades the flo\TCrs, &c. .This is very true, but is 

 it all ? has he given the deptli or distance, and a 

 liundred other minute particulars ? can the treat- 

 ment of such elegant plants be detailed in thirty or 

 forty lines, occupying in most florists' directions 

 as many pages ? More has been written upon the 

 growth and cultivation of tulips, and other choice 

 bulbs, than has, or J think ' ever will be, upon 

 chrysanthemums ; there are but very few people 

 who think it requires at least twelve months, for 

 the compost to lay exposed to the sun and air, 

 previously to using. So particular were many of 

 the great Dutch florists, upon the preparation of 

 their composts, that it was kept almost a piofound 

 secret. 



How many have tried to cultivate tulips, rauun- 

 cules and hyacinths, to perfection, and how few 

 have succeeded. While almost every individual, 

 who is a lover of flowers, has chrysanthemums. 

 How many thousand roots of ranuncules have 

 been bought and planted, and come to nought. 

 And what care has been taken to raise them with 

 success. I even heard a gentleman say last sea- 

 son, he was told in New York, they should be 

 planted with the forks of the root up! As much 

 might be said of hyacinths ; but I will not take the 

 room, to enlarge upon them at this time. Enough 

 I hope has been said, to show that instead of 

 chrysanthemums being ' ten times ' the trouble of 

 tulips, &c, Ihey are a hundred the reverse. 



Again, your correspondent seems to think, I am 

 no judge of flowers. I have not the vanity to say 

 my judgment is better than others ; but I cannot 

 yield to him. He says tulips last but three weeks, 

 and flower at a time when we have plenty of 

 roses, and perennial herbaceous plants. I think 

 he is here mistaken ; certainly he cannot have a 

 very retentive memory ! I will but refer him to 

 the last volume of your paper, where lie will find 

 that the show of tulips was on the 14th and 21st 

 of May, and roses on the 15th and 22d of June. 

 Indeed, here is a vast difterence ! Not a rose, I 

 think, was seen in bloom before the first of June, 

 {unless Scotch,) nor a tulip in perfection after the 

 23d of May. As to the perennial i)lants he speaks 

 of, I really cannot recollect any of great beauty 

 which flower so early. True there may be some 

 lilacs, &c, but few others. 



I agi'ee with him, that tliere is a delicacy of 

 texture, a soft and satin-like ap])earance in the 

 lotus chrysauthenumi ; although I cannot think 

 of comparing it to a tulip. I have examined a 

 tidip, a hyacinth, and a ranunculus, and have 

 almost been enraptured in viewing such elegant 

 plants, hardly knowing which to admire most. A 

 bed of tuUps with their endless variety of colors, 

 60 evenly shaded together, may almost be contrast- 



ed with the brilliant colors of the rainbow, so finely wo trace design and purpose in the -works of Na- 

 blended. I cannot say the same of ranuncules, ture, shall we not sym])athise the more with the 

 as I never had an opportunity of viewing a bed. fitness of means to end in human conduct ? The 

 But taking a single flower, that surpasses all | more we enter into the details of natural opera- 

 others, both in vividness of color and fineness of I tions, shall we not increase our taste for facts ?■ — 

 texture, and in fact all that belongs to a perfect i which is, in other words, the love of truth — the 

 flower. very foundation of justice and honesty ? The 



1 cannot yet (and I hope no one can, who is at | venerable Bewich boldly asserts that 'a good nat- ' 



all acquainted with flowers,) be induced to ac- 

 knowledge, what your correspondent thinks exist- 

 ed only in my ' imagination,' or retract any from 



uralist cannot be a bad man !' 



It has been said that ignorance in ])hilosophy is 

 preferable to superficial knowledge ; but it is other- 



what I first stated. He hopes to see the time wise in HtG study of Nature ; where every acqui- 

 whcu Horticultural Premiums will be ' ten times ' i sition is useful, from the simjtlest perception to the 

 their present value ; and I am glad to find that he deepest researches ; from the minutest detail to the 

 can take the same ])leasure in competing for two, ' most general views ; where there are jjroblems to 

 or five dollars, as he can for a larger amount ; ifjbe solved which may gently exercise the weakest 

 he will cultivate to i)erfection, it is all we wish ; ' or severely task the strongest, intellectual powers. 



he thinks we can have what my imagination pic- 

 tures if we will only wait a year or two. I 

 hope I shall be blessed with patience. 



lu regard to the system of awarding premiums, 

 I spoke of, he readily agrees with me, as an excel- 

 lent plan. But I am sorry he should so misunder- 

 stand me, as to convey the idea that I should cast 

 any rejuoaches upon the gentlemen, who compose 



Indeed, it frequently happens, that the most in- 

 genious and apparently incontrovertible reasoning 

 . in Natm-al History is overturned or confirmed by 

 facts accidentally observed by the feeble and un- 

 scientific. Fortunately, a profound knowledge of 

 all, or even of any of its branches is not essential 

 to the horticulturist, however desirable it may be ; 

 and although a slight acquaintance may not enable 



the committee. The thought did cot enter my 1 him to make many very valuable reprisals from tlie 



yet too many are always ready to find 

 fault and not be content, if there is a doubt of the 

 least partiality. Undoubtedly he is right, in 

 speaking of the care which the ' humble cottager ' 

 takes of his few plants ; and so far, it goes against 

 the florist. He will, if he is a skilful man, see 

 that his hundred i)lants are as well nurtured, as 

 the cottager's few ; many, however, work cuily for 

 the interest of their employer, and frequently let 

 their best varieties dwindle away in growth, till 

 they are completely ruined. A real florist and 

 admirer watches them with as niucli care as the 

 cottager, who only takes that peculiar care for 

 competing for the prize, while the admirer culti- 

 vates for his jileasure only. 



I have written more than I intended at first, but 



dark abyss of Nature's mysteries, or add much to 

 the advancement of science for the good of man- 

 kind, it certainly will do what is perhaps the next 

 best thing in the world, — it will incalculably pro- 

 mote his own enjoyments. 



The prosperity of this Society hitherto, is, I be- 

 lieve, altogether unexampled ; and its future pros- 

 pects arc bright and exhilarating in the extreme. 

 Warned by the deplorable embarrassments of some 

 and guided by the happy example of other Horti- 

 cultural establishments, the strong and sagacious 

 iniuds which have conducted the affairs of ours so 

 felicitously, to the present moment, will not be likely 

 to err greatly in their management of them here 

 after. Slionld heaven iutercei)t some of them 

 from seeing all their wise and tasteful plans per- 



as your correspondent has found so many faults , fectly accomplished, they may at least enjoy the 

 with my communication, and yet called them ! present confident assurance, that posterity will ap- 

 ' trifling inaccuracies,' I felt it a duty to fully \ predate and be grateful for their labors. The 

 substantiate all doubts. With the hope that I have I amazing power of combinations is well known ; 

 not said anything that will be viewed as ungener- but has seldom been more agreeably illustrated, 

 ous, I remain yours, respectfully, | that in the formation of associations where the re- 



Cambridge, Feb. 20, 18-32. RUSTICUS. i suits of individual exertions, experiments and 



Ebr»t«. — In tijo former nriicle of Rusticus, first column, isili ' opinions are collected aud compared, corrected and 

 lhTt\l^?rt"l"'™^"'noV"'lhlL"d'^ '■">'": concentrated, aud the knowledge, thus acquired 



. and i)reparcd, difliised in an attractive form among 



the ma.ss of mankind by periodical publications. 

 It has been, and I think may again be confidently 

 a.sscrted, that 'more real, useful improvements 

 have been made in gardening since the formation 

 of- the London Horticultural Society, than have 

 been made in China within the last thousand years.' 

 To be conclLidcd next week. 



ADDRESS 



rtSTlVAL, (EITIMDEE 21, 1831. 



BY M A L T n U S .\ . W A R D , M . D . 

 Continued from page 251. 

 Such then, gentlemen, are some of the most 

 prominent features in the science of Horticulture, — 

 and such its associated and auxilian stiulies. It 

 is unnecessary to ex])atiate upon the peculiar in- 

 terest t4iat is attached to such pursuits, even when 

 followed merely as a recreation ; on the pleasant 

 excitement which they kindle in the youthfid 

 uiiud, or the expansion they give to the heart in 

 more mature life; on the advantages they possess 

 in an eminent degree, of disciplining the intellect- 

 )Owers, — training us to habits of quick obser 



A beautiful specimen of the Magnolia conspicua, a 

 native of Cliina, is now in t)lo^sorn at the botanic Gai'den 

 at Cambiiilge — It is but two feet high, lias nine flowers, 

 the petals of wliich are four inches long, perfectly white 

 and very fragrant ; and is well worthy the observation of 

 amateurs. 



To CoRREsPoNDE.NTs. — We shall next week insert a 

 valuable article from Judge Buel on Dwarfing Trees — 

 alsoone fiom John Pbince, Esq. on the properties of 

 ^ Liverpool and other Salts, and several others which we 

 vatiou, accurate discrimination, and methodical i have been obliged (o omit this week, 

 distribution of ideas ; or on the benign influence 



which thev are calculated to have upon the moral L V°,'"''=''\'°''- " '^\* P''^"^'"'? "^ $20 awarded to 

 J . I ■ 1 I ■ ,- ... Col. John Wilson of Deeifield, as mentioned in our 



sentiments and conduct ; which I believe to be far i^,, paper for Winter Rye, should have been for Winter 

 greater than is commonly suspected ; for the more ' Wheat. 



