voiy. xvxi. NO. ir. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



131 



Iressed with less active manures, still deep digging till March ; the flavor was found to be very delicous, 

 B the most certain road to agricultural success, equal to the best of our Summer Melons. 



Als 



\m\ here, sir, we ask permission to remark that 



he lessons given us by those who are investigating ' source. 



ind analyzing the substances that compose our 



;arth, showing as far as the progress, of science 



ixtends the natural induence nf tlipm on plants, 



ire received by some aspirants to agricultural 



;nowledge with most extravagant and absurd ex- 



lectations. When the cliemist directs attention 



o an article which he believes forms the chief food 



if plants, then all their thoughts and exertions con- 



;entrate in a single point about which, like former 



aoney diggers they think there is magic, and if 



he instrument be once pointed in right direction 



he treasure is forever secure witliout much addi- 



ional labor. Science will never fulfil any such 



xpectation, it would prove our curse if it should. 



!'he developments of science may greatly assist 



nd animate us in agricultural pursuits ; but the 



lan who believes he is qualified by discoveries 



lade to define accurately all that enters into the 



ourishment of plants or stimulates their appetites 



ught to be regarded as having embraced only a 



loonshine theory. If scientific men could tell us 



'ith certainty all that constitutes the food and 



timulants of plants, if they could show the exact 



roportions which would contribute to their great- 



st vigor and perfection ; then, why could not our 



hysicians tell us the precise effect of every sort 



f food we take on the animal system, and direct 



) such apportionment of it that we might live 



ven beyond tlie age of ancient patriarchs ? The 



'lysician's skill or the lessons we take from him, 



juld never secure our health without observation 



id the exercise of care and prudence on our part. 



le can never become good practical farmers 



erely by taking lessons from the philosopher and 



lemist, these lessons are a good foundation on 



hich to build a theory, but to the purposes of 



■actical success, it cannot be established without 



mtinued observation, inquiry and reflection. 



MORRILL ALLEN, Chairman. 



specimens of Grapes from an unkno^ 



For the Committee, 



ROBERT iMANNING. 



VEGETABLES. 



Saturday, Oct. 27, 1838. 

 Dr J. C. Howard, Woodlands, Brookline, pre- 

 sented some fine specimens of BiiUie's White 

 Giant, and Salmon colored Celery. These spec- 

 imens were decidedly the best we have seen the 

 present season. For the Committee, 



S. WALKER. 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Exhibition of Fruits. 



Saturday, Oct. 20, 1838. 



From S. Walker, Esq., Swan's Eg'f Pear (Cox 

 0. 36.) We believe this to be the true Swan's 

 gg of the English Gardens, and entirely distinct 

 cm the Egg Pear of Duhamel. 



From Mr John .M. Ives, Salem, Cajnaumont Pear 

 om a tree phuiled out this spring, handsome and 

 ood. 



Prom Mr E. M. Richards, Dedham, Orange and 

 sar Shaped Quinces ; also fine Peaches, name 

 nknown, from a tree imported from France. 



From R. Manning, Salem, Fourcroy, Figs of 

 aples and Minot Pears, Drap d 'or Apple3°(Cox 

 0. 20,) also a specimen of Seedling Apples, from 

 garden in South Salem, beautiful and good. 



From Hon. Judge Heard, Forelle, Beurre Diel, 

 id St Michaels Pears. The specimen of the 

 orelle was large and handsome, and it may yet in 

 is country attain the high reputation it has ac- 

 lired in Germany of a first rate fruit. 



From E. Vose, Esq. a very fine specimen of 

 uchess de Angouleme Pear, weighing eighteen 

 inces. 



From William Oliver, Esq., a Green Flesh Win- 

 r Melon, taken from a vine in Granada, 64 days 

 nee, and represented to keep in good condition 



CULTURE OF BULBOUS FLOWER ROOTS, 



HYACINTHS, TULIPS, NARCISSUS, ETC. 



The proper soil for bulbs, in general, is a lio-ht 

 rich soil, mixed with a considerable portion of fine 

 sea sand ; and the compost generally used, is one 

 third fine sand, one sixth rich loam, one third cow 

 dung, and one sixth leaves. of trees. The two last 

 to be well rotted, and at 'east two years old ; with 

 this mixture, the beds are formed two feet deep, at 

 least, and raised four or six inches above the level 

 of the garden, to turn off" rain. The proper time 

 of planting in beds, is in the months of October 

 and November, though it may answer by the first 

 of December — provided the ground remains suffi- 

 ciently open. 



HYACINTHS 



May be set six inches apart from each other, and 

 each bulb placed in fine sea sand and covered with 

 it four inches deep. After the bed is thus planted, 

 cover the whole carefully with earth four inches. 

 When the winter is fairly set in, (say from the 1st 

 to the 10th of December,) then cover with leaves, 

 straw, or sea-weed, four or six inches deep, which 

 should be removed early ia the spring ; a part of 

 it, perhaps as early as the 20th of February, and 

 the remainder during .March. With too much pro- 

 tection, the bulbs draw up weak and pale, and are 

 materially injured. During their bloom, it will be 

 proper to support the bells by small sticks, and pro- 

 tect them from heavy rains and the sun. The 

 flower stems should be cut off" as soon as they have 

 faded, and the beds left exposed until the leaves 

 are nearly dried, when the bulbs should be taken 

 up, the leaves cut ofl^ half an inch from the top of 

 the bulbs, and then replaced (sideways) with the 

 fibres on, and covered with earth, there to dry 

 gradually for a month ; when they are to be taken 

 up, cleaned from the earth and fibres, and each 

 bulb wrapped in a separate paper in a dry place, 

 and frequently aired, or to be packed in dry sand. 

 When wanted for the parlor, they should be 

 planted in September, (if to blow early in the win- 

 ter) in deep narrow pots, six inches in diameter at 

 the top, and about one third deeper than common 

 Mower pots. The soil the same as before mention- 

 ed, and the bulb to be just covered by it. They 

 should not be watered from the top, but the pots 

 should stand, twice a week, in saucers filled with 

 water. Let them have as much air and sun as pos- 

 sible, and not suffer them to feel the direct influ- 

 ence of the fire — for heat forces the stem out be- 

 fore the bells have time to form and acquire vigor 

 and beauty. When the flowers begin to open, give 

 as mucli water as the earth will imbibe. 



To preserve these bulbs, they should, as soon as 

 the bloom is over, be turned out of the pot with 



fibres and earth, and put in a prepared bed in the 

 garden, to be treated afterwards as those growing 

 in open ground. By this mode the bulbs will not 

 be materially injured, and will blow well the second 

 year. Whereas those grown on glasses or forced, 

 are seldom good for anything afterwards. 



Single Hyacinths are preferable to most double 

 ones for early flowering in winter ; being two or 

 three weeks sponer in blooir. Their colors are 

 more brilliant, and the bells more numerous than 

 the double. 



Tulips are hardier than the hyacinth, and in 

 open ground may be planted four inches apart, cov- 

 ered two or three inches with earth. 



The Polyanthus Narcissus should be planted 

 six inches deep, and eight inches apart, and care- 

 fully protected from frost, being the most tender of 

 the bulbs. Unless taken up after bloom, it will 

 grow in the autumn and suffer during winter. 



Depth and distances — Hyacinths, amaryllis, mar- 

 tagon, and otlier lilies, and pjeonies, should be 

 planted at the depth of four inches ; crown impe- 

 rials, and polyanthus narcissus, five inches ; tulips, 

 double narcissus, jonquilles, colchicums and snow- 

 flakes, three inches ; bulbous irises, crocuses, arums, 

 small fritellarias, tiger flowers, gladiolus, and snow- 

 drops, two inches ; ranunculus, anemones, oxalis, 

 and dog's-teeth violets, one inch ; always measuring 

 from the top of the bulbs. The rows should be 

 about ten inches apart, and tlie roots be placed 

 from four to six inches apart, in the rows, according 

 to their size.- 



Method to blot/m Hyacinths and other bulbs in the 



winter season, in pots or glasses For this purpose, 



single hyacinths, and such as are designated ear- 

 liest among the double, are to be preferred. Single 

 hyacinths are generally held in less estimation than 

 double ones ; their colors, however, are more vivid, 

 and their bells, though smaller, are more numerous. 

 Some of the finer sorts are exquisitely beautiful ; 

 they are preferable for flowering in winter to most 

 of the double ones, as they bloom two or three 

 weeks earlier, and are very sweet scented. Roman 

 narcissus, double jonquilles, polyanthus narcissus, 

 double narcissus, and crocuses?- also make a fine ap- 

 pearance in the parlor during the winter. It is a 

 remarkable circumstance of the crocus, that it keeps 

 its petals expanded during a tolerable bright candle 

 or lamp light, in the same way as it does during 

 the light of the sun. If the candle be removed, 

 the crocuses close their petals, as they do in the 

 garden when a Cloud obscures the sun ; and when 

 the artificial light is restored, they open again, as 

 they do with the return of the direct solar rays. 



Hyacinths intended for glasses should be placed 

 in tiiem about the middle of November, the glasses 

 being previously filled with pure water, so that the 

 bottom of the bulb may just touch the water ; then 

 place them for the first ten days in a dark room, to 

 promote the shooting of the roots, after which ex- 

 pose them to tlie light and sun as much as possible. 

 They will blow, however, without any sun ; but the 

 colors of the flowers will be inferior. The water 

 should be changed as it becomes impure ; draw the 

 roots entirely out of the glasses, rinse off" the fibres 

 in clean water, and the glasses well washed inside ; 

 care should be taken not to suff'er the water to 

 freeze, as it not only bursts the glasses, but often 

 causes the fibres to decay. Whether the water be 

 hard or soft is of no great consequence ; but soft 

 or rain water is considered preferable, but it must 

 be perfectly clear. Forced bulbs are seldom good 

 for anything afterwards. 



