256 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



and accurate directions in print for selecting a soil 

 is difficult ; but it is deserving of remark, that a pas- 

 ture abounding with and luxuriantly sustaining the 

 British varieties of Ranunculuses, or Butter-cups, as 

 they are usually called, has also been found congenial 

 to the Asiatic species. The addition of fertilizing 

 agents to maiden soil is of paramount importance. 

 Many composts have been recommended to the ama- 

 teur, the proportionate ingredients of which have 

 been prescribed with the precision of a physician's 

 formula. The secret of vigorous foliage and enor- 

 mous blooms has been a mixture of powerful chemi- 

 cal stimulents, or a substratum of cow-dung a foot 

 thick, or some other equally unnatural process. Our 

 advice is to avoid quackery. Many valuable collec- 

 tions have been ruined by excessive applications of 

 suitable manures, or the use of such as are destruc- 

 tive rather than nutritive. Decayed stable and cow- 

 dung, in equal quantities, constituting together about 

 one-third, added to two-thirds of loam, will, when 

 mixed and thoroughly incorporated, form a compost 

 for the main depth of the bed ; reserving a portion 

 of loam sufficient to make a top layer of soil 2 

 inches deep, to which about half the above-stated 

 proportions of well-decomposed manure may be added. 

 It is of importance that the tubers should not be 

 placed in contact with fresh manure, as it engenders 

 disease in the roots, and consequent injury to the 

 plants. Having chosen an open but not exposed 

 part of the garden, which will admit of the beds 

 being laid down about east and west, remove the 

 earth a foot deep, and from 3 feet to 3 feet 4 inches 

 wide, and fill the bed with the prepared compost to 

 within 2 inches of the surface; leave it thus a month, 

 and then add the reserved top soil. These operations 

 are best done in autumn, that time may be allowed 

 for the earth to settle. The surface of the beds 

 should be level, and not more than an inch higher 

 than the paths, in order that the roots may be kept 

 regularly cool and moist; and as the Ranunculus 

 thrives on a firm bottom, the compost should not be 

 disturbed at the time of planting, more than is just 

 needful for that operation. During winter the sur- 

 face may be pointed up rough to take the benefit of 

 frosts, but in no case should this be done more than 

 2 inches deep. The beds may be neatly edged with 

 inch boards painted lead color ; and in case named 

 sorts are planted, should be numbered with white 

 paint to correspond with the numbers entered in the 

 amateur's list. As a bed well constructed at the 

 commencement will admit of several successive plant- 

 ings, with an annual addition of fertilizing materials, 

 it is worthy of the particular care of the cultivator, 

 though the preparation at first may involve some 

 little trouble and expense. The best season for 

 general planting is the last fortnight in February — 

 the plants have not then to contend with the severi- 

 ties of the winter. In some favorable seasons roots 

 may be planted with advantage in October; they 

 will have more time to vegetate and establish them- 

 selves — will make stronger plants, and will bloom 

 more vigorously, and about a fortnight earlier than 

 if planted in spring. Considerable hazard, houevcr, 

 attends autumn planting, and it is not recommended, 

 except by way of experiment to those who possess a 

 large stock and can afford to risk a portion. In fine 



weather, toward the close of February, rake your 

 beds perfectly level, and divide them into six longi- 

 tudinal rows for mixed roots, allowing 4 inches from 

 the outside row to the edge ; or for named sorts, 

 mark your rows transversely at distances of .5 inches 

 asunder, and plant six roots in a transverse row. 

 Draw drills one inch and a half deep, and plant the 

 roots with the claws downward, with a gentle pre&- 

 sure to secure them in the soil, so as to be one inch 

 and a half from the crowns to the surface. When 

 planting on a small scale, a dibble with a shoulder at 

 the precise depth may be used, but in large quantities 

 it is an inconvenient method ; and planting at the 

 bottom of a drill with slight pressure, and without 

 disturbing the subsoil, is attended with similar ad- 

 vantages to the use of a dibl^le, and iu practice will 

 be found to have some points of preference. If the 

 top soil is light after planting it may be gently beaten 

 with the back of the spade; this operation, however, 

 must be only done in dry weather." — C, in the Lovr 

 don Gardeners^ Chronicle. 



KILMARNOCK WEEPING WILLOW. 



This beautiful weeping plant having lately attracted 

 attention, its history may not be uninteresting. There 

 lived, in a sequestered corner of Monkwood estate, 

 near Ayr, an aged botanist named John yjiiTn, an 

 enthusiastic lover of plants, and a zealous collector. 

 From him Mr. Lang, nurseryman, Kilmarnock, pur- 

 chased one plant, about ten years ago. Afterwards 

 Mr. Lang procured a few more plants from Mr. 

 Smith ; and as the old gentleman died shortly after, 

 he never had an opportunity of ascertaining where 

 he procured the variety. It is probable, however, 

 that he found it growing wild, as the species, Salix 

 caprea or Palm Willow, is one of the most common 

 plants in the countiy. Mr. Lang has since been en- 

 gaged in propagating the plant, and nearly 1000 have 

 been sold. Sir W. J. Hooker received two plants 

 of it in spring, 18o2, and having observed during last 

 summer how exceedingly ornamental it was, he gave 

 Mr. Lang a decided opinion, stating that he thought 

 very highly of it, and that it was much admired in 

 the Royal Gardens at Kew. The tree flowers freely 

 in the month of April, has broad glossy leaves, every 

 branch is curved gracefully downward, and it is as 

 hardy as the most hardy plant we have, being in fact 

 a native of the country, and not, like the Salix Baby- 

 lonica, introduced from a foreign clime. The name 

 of Kilmarnock Weeping Willow was bestowed upon 

 it to distinguish it from the common Weeping Wil- 

 low, the Napoleon Weeping Willow, and the Ameri- 

 can Weeping Willow; it is quite distinct from either 

 of these varieties, having leaves two inches broad. — 

 Kilmarnock Journal. 



Second Crop of Strawberries. — Prof Page ex- 

 hibited on Tuesday, at the Patent Office, some fine 

 specimens of a second crop of strawberries, produced 

 according to Mr. Peabody's method of continuous 

 caterings. This variety was the favorite strawbeiTy 

 known as the Alice Maud. This is a complete veri- 

 fication of Mr. Pfabody's discovery of making straw- 

 ben'ies constant bearers by constant waterings. 



