124 



THENEVV GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. \% 



II fi 



The Flowers of Summer. 



The White Lily is much finer when it bos eome 

 protection in winter. It will live without it for a time; 

 but with UB it hna gradually declined when exposed in 

 the open border. In the covered border, it Bceme to 

 be at home. 



Lilium chulcedonicum (scarlet martagon; ia beauti- 

 ful, and the petals so revolute that some of them Ire- 

 quentlj' clasp the peduncle. The stalk supports one 

 or two flowers. It is a native of the Levant. 



Liliuyn japonicvm has declined with us of late years, 

 and no longer produces flowers. This may be owing 

 to deep planting, as Loudon mentions that some set 

 the bulbs in pots, "not lower than an inch from the 

 surface of the mould." Others take them up in au- 

 tumn, and aa they are tender, keep them in dry sand 

 tdl spring in the cellar. We hope to profit by these 

 hints, 



Lilium tigrinum (tiger lily) from China is very har- 

 dy, and well suited with our limestone soil. With 

 reasonab'e cultivation, it grows five or six feet high; 

 and produces showy flowers of a reddish yellow with 

 dark spots, resembling the color of the tiger. The 

 bulbs that form on the stalk, grow freely, and often 

 flower the next season. 



Lilium superbiLxa does best in a boggy soil. In a 

 shaded border of vegetable earth, it blosaoms year af- 

 ter year, but not with the splendor it attains in its na- 

 tive localities. It is indigenoua to some parts of this 

 State. 



Within a few years, the genus Pcntstcmon has fur- 

 nished many interesting species for the garden. P. 

 digitalis, three feet high with white flowers and large 

 radical leaves, deserves a place. P. diffusum more 

 humble and spreading, presents a greater variety of 

 colors (light red tinged with blue.) P. laxigatum, 

 ▼ery smooth and erect, has pale flowers striped on the 

 inside with purple. P. Pulclidlum very neat and 

 pretty, varies in color; and gives florists an opportu- 

 nity to multiply specific names. 



Spigdia marilandica is interesting as the Pink Root 

 of the shops; but it also has beauty and singularity. — 

 Contrary to the usual order of flowers, the outside is a 

 fine red, and the inside a light yellow. It is quite 

 hardy in this climate. 



On the China Pink, Nature has spread some of her 

 finest colors; and seedlings vary much — some single, 

 florae double. In Loudon, this species is marked a 

 iiicnnial; but we have them three years old with no 

 symptoms of decline. Ours were transplanted, 

 which doubtless increased their radical fibres. 



Chdone barbata though a native of Mexico, abides 

 the winter in the open border. Its slender stems, 

 sometimes five feet high, are ornamented with tubu- 

 lar flowers, light scarlet red on the outside, and stri- 

 ped within. It continues in bloom n long time. 



The double white Clcinalis from Japan is very 

 ehowy; but must be covered up from the cold in win- 

 ter. It is a slender climbing shrub. 



Clematis fiammulus (Virgin's Bower) another 

 limbing shrub, has white flowers, of little splendor 

 ut much fragrance. Ii is a desirable plant. 



Escltarhollzia californica (now nltcrcd to Chryseis) 

 Tvith large yellow flowers, is already naturalized to the 

 gardens. The orange colored (C.crocea) is only a 

 variety, though marked as a epceies. 



Li/thnim sidicaria and L. rirgalum, are nearly al- 

 lied, but the latter is a more slender plant. The flow- 

 ers are in verticillate spikes, of a red-purple, and both 

 deserve a place. 



k'pinea lobata, four or five ieet bigli, a native of the 

 oak openings in the West, presents masses of pale 

 red flowers on the top of its stems. It has been nmch 

 admired. 



Yucca fliiccida is one of the finest plants in the bor- 

 der. Its leaves are as green when they project through 

 the snow, as ihey are in summer. The scape is 3 feet 

 high, crowded with large white flowcra; and in its time 

 of bloom, we have nothing more splendid. No other 

 species of Yucca that we have tried, agrees so well 

 with our soil and climate. 



AconiiujitTwpellus (Wolf's Bane) has rather a lu- 

 rid appearance, though it has long been considered an 

 ornament of the garden. Another species with white 

 flowers, very tall and erect, makes a fine display. 



fUenactvs speciosa is nearly allied to the Aster, with 

 large flowers of a light blue, though some varieties are 

 deeper than others. It is showy as its specific name 

 implies. 



The Detroit or Michigan Rose, which may be train- 

 ed to the height of twenty feet, is the latest of all that 

 bloom with us at one regidar period. Seedlings vary 

 with us, some deeper, some paler; but the flowers of 

 each seedling, also vary in color according to their age. 

 When these first open, the red is more intense, but 

 they become paler with each succeeding day, fading 

 at last almost into white, and as those of the same 

 panicle are not equally fonvard, the diversity of color 

 is very pleasing. In a hedge where it presents large 

 masses of bloom, it is very splendid. A double varie- 

 ty has already originated, but we know nothing of its 

 merits. 



(>rchis jimbriata is beautiful, and grows well in a 

 shaded border where vegetable earth abounds. Each 

 plant has one large terminal spike of pink flowers, va- 

 rying however in the intensity of their colore. 



Hydrangea radiata is hardy, tiiough a native of the 

 South; and round the circumference of its cymes are 

 barren white flowers which are elegant. H. qiicrcifo- 

 Ha however, from the same region, though more ten- 

 der, is more showy. It has close panicles of a conical 

 form, six or eight inches in length; while on slender 

 peduncles the barren flowers project all round, so as to 

 nearly encase the fertile flowers. When protected by 

 deep snow until the keenest breath of winter has pas- 

 sed over, it does well. It is now beautifully in bloom. 



Ccntaurca aurca on the top of a strong stem, pre- 

 sents its golden flowers. The heads are nearly two 

 inches in diameter. 



The diearf Horse chestnut, spreading wide as it as- 

 cends to the height of five feet, and exhibiting its 

 white flowers in long terminal spikes, — if not equal 

 to the Asiatic Horse chestnut in beauty, excels all oth- 

 er species that we have seen. Many of the spikes are 

 a foot or more in length. 



Hifpcricumkfilmiunum ia a sub-evergreen shrub of 

 a round form covering itself with yellow blossoms. — 

 H. hircinum from Calabria is tender, and killed to the 

 ground every winter; but assuming the character of a 

 perennial, it springs up three feet in summer, decora- 

 ted with beautiful flowers. It is strong scented when 

 rubbed or broken. 



Silcne rcgia from Ohio, erect, four or five feet high, 

 with several stalks from one toot, has blossoms of a 

 glittering scarlet. Nuttnll calls it "one of the most 

 splendid species in existence." 



Bocconia cordata, six feet high, produces its flow- 

 ers of a slight blush, in paniclea; and makea a fine 

 appearance at a distance. Its leaves greatly resemble 

 those of the Blood Root, and both belong to the same 

 natural order. 



Tlie different species of Liatris, according to Lou- 

 don, are elegant plants. Two of these have come in- 

 to bloom: one is L. pumila, and the other we import- 

 ed from England without a name. 



A species of Galardia, with purple disc aiui yellow 

 rays, two inches in diameter, — though a straggling 

 plant, is quite showy. Ii is a perennial. 



Funkia carulta (separated from Hemerocallis) is ths 

 tallest of this new genus that we have seen; and beaa 

 its pale purple flowers which are striped, in spike, 

 that terminate the stems, two or three feet high. / 

 lanceifoliu is a smaller plant with delicate blossoms 



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111; 



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nearly the same color. 



Tliere is no finer scarlet than the flowers of Lobeh 

 cardinulis. It grows naturally in damp ground nei 

 the borders of streams; and if removed to the garde 

 sbouldhave a shady spot and deep vegetable soil. 



Whoever admires the blue bells of Campanula rt 

 tundifolia will be pleased with those of C. carpati 

 ea, which is generally of a finer blue. It comes froi 

 the Carpathian moimtains. 



Coreopsis lanceoluta is the most showy species of thi 

 genus in odour, since C. tinctoria has been removi 

 to Calliopsis. It has beautiful yellow blossoms. 



The iron fox glove (Digitalis fcrruginca) is i 

 old inhabitant of the gardens. Its erect stem, three 

 four feet high, is crowded with neat flowers, staine 

 as if with iron rust. t 



tf!~ 



Bnrnt Earth as a Manure. 



We have used burnt earth as a manure for severs 

 years in our garden, which is a heavy /oom,with great 

 success. It has been mostly applied to the cabbage, 

 the cauliflower, and the beet; but its effect on the lo6i 

 has been perhaps the most extraordinary. Some oi 

 the largest we have ever seen, were manured in this 

 way. 



To prepare it: — We have taken knotty logs, such 

 as would be rather unprofitable to split, and laid three 

 or four as a foundation to build on; and as every flow- 

 er garden furnishes rubbish, we have collected it, and 

 heaped it up as high as it was found convenient to 

 manage. Such materials make rather a loose and 

 elastic pile; but we have endeavored to lay them as 

 compactly as we could; and then have had a man to 

 stand on the top, and receive sods until the mass was 

 pressed down into shape. Any earth that is foul with 

 grass or weeds is thrown on, in the manner of cover- 

 ing a coal-kiln, leaving two holes on opposite sides to 

 cause a draft when it is set on fire. As soon howev 

 er, as the fire extends through the pile, the holes 

 should be closed, so that no smoke be emitted. Stiam 

 will rise from the damp earth, but the smoke should 

 be carefully confined. 



We have generally burnt one or two cart-loads oi 

 earth at a time, because we were not prepared to burn 

 more; but we presume that much greater quantities 

 might be burned with the same fuel. The heat will 

 continue many weeks, and the earth in the interior of 

 the heap, will become of a brick-red. One or two 

 shovelfuls may be applied to a cabbage, or it may be 

 laid on both sides of a row of beets an inch or two 

 thick. In England, where paring and burning is 

 much practised, it is generally admitted by judicious 

 farmers that light or sandy soils are unfit for tJiis opo- 

 ration. Arthur Young says he "found burning in- 

 jure sand." It can hardly be imagined," says Sir 

 John Sinclair, " that fire would add any thing to the 

 nature of sand, or render it more fertile. No turf 

 that will readily harrow to pieces, ought to be subject- 

 ed to this process." "All poor siliceous sands," says 

 Sir. H. Davy, "must be injured by it. An intelli- 

 gent farmer told me he had pared and burned a small 

 field frcveral years ago, which he had not been able to 

 bring again into good condition. I examined the spot; 

 the grass was poor and scanty, and the soil an arid si- 

 liceous sand. 



Sir II. Davy refers the efiects of paring and burn- 

 ing "entirely to the diminution of the coherence and 

 tenacity of clays, and to the destruction of inert and 

 useless vegetable matter, and its conversion into ms- 

 nurc." 



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