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SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
•six inches thick, upon which is spread a layer of rotten 
leaves about the same thickness; pine leaves should be 
avoided, the leaves of chesnut, sweet-gum andihiekory 
being preferable to oak leaves. The compost, which I 
will describe hereafter, must then be filled in and made 
firm by trampling, and the bed must be filled to withinssix 
inches below the general surface. About two inches of fine 
pure sand is now spread over the compost, and the bulbs 
placed on it at proper distance ; another layer of sand is 
spread over the bulbs that they may be perfectly sur- 
rounded with sand, and no rich earth come in immediate 
contact with them. The balance of the bed may then be 
filled up with any sandy soil in such a quantity that the 
top of the bulb may be from four to five inches below the 
surface of the bed. 
The best compost for hyacinths is made of: Two parts 
of grey sand, two parts of rotted cow dung, two parts of 
well rotted leaves. It should all be thrown into a heap 
which should be turned over once a month for twelve 
months before it is to be used. 
The best time for planting is, during the month of No 
vember, unless it should be desirable to force them into 
early blooming ; if so, they may be planted in September 
and early part of October, but for that purpose particular 
kinds must be selected, as some do not force well. It is 
a*emarkable, that yellow hyacinths will not stand forcing. 
Early in the Spring, as soon as they begin to sprout, 
the soil should be stirred around them a couple inches 
deep, and they should receive a good mulching, either of 
rotten leaves or sawdust, and a sprinkling of salt. This 
latter will generally be dissolved by rain, dew and water- 
ings, and produce an atmosphere which, when inhaled 
by the leaves, will have a beneficial influence on the bloom- 
ing the following year. 
I would here mention the peculiarity with all bulbs, 
and hyacinths in particular, that their perfect bloawAng al- 
ways depends upon their foliage having been developed as 
much as possible the year previously. 
The bulbs must be left in the ground undisturbed antil 
all the leaves are perfectly withered, when they should 
be taken up, and, for about a week or ten days, left to 
dry on an airy, shady place, after which they must be 
packed away in boxes, filled with dry sand : otherwise 
they will dry up too much in our hot climate. 
When in bloom, it will not hurt them to cat off the 
flower, but care must be taken never to injure the foliage. 
In planting the bulbs, all the offsets around them, if 
any be there, must be taken off carefully, as they other- 
wise will act as suckers, and injure the blooming quality 
very considerably. 
These offsets are planted on beds by themselves, and 
in all respects treated like the full grown bulbs, only they 
are not planted quite so deep. They will the first and 
second year bloom but weakly, but v/hen having been 
treated in the usual way for four years, they are to be con- 
sidered full grown bulbs. 
New varieties are raised from seed, but the process is 
entirely too slow and troublesome for an amateur, as such 
seedlings will not bloom before the fifth or even sixth year. 
The Dutch Florists have also other methods of propa- 
gating the Hyacinth, which, though very ingenious, it vrill 
be useless to describe in this abridged article 
Wherever beds are prepared for Hyacinths no trees 
must be found w'ithin ten yards at least, 
I pve.sume most amateurs will admit that the process, 
described above, is a rather troublesome affair, and not 
wonder at the high price of bulbs. They will also see 
how much the common ill-treatment of the Hyacinth foils 
short of the treatment which this noble flower deserves. 
It is often surprising to most persons that the first 
blooming is so fine, while the flower becomes inferior the 
following year. The explanation is very easy : the first 
year the purchaser receives the benefit of the care be- 
stowed on the bulbs by the Florist’s hand the year pre- 
viously ; the second year he gets the result of his own. 
Robert Nelson. 
FruUland Nursery, Augusta, Ga., July, 1857. 
Green Corn for the Table in Winter. — It is now 
generally known that this most delicious vegetakle may 
be enjoyed in the same perfection in winter as in sum- 
mer. Many troublesome methods are employed dy dili- 
gent house- keepers for putting up vegetables in summer 
for winter use. The result is more or less successful in 
preserving the corn in sufficient flavor to remind us of 
this favorite esculent of the summer. 
Several years ago we learned a way by which farmers 
and gardeners can provide a supply of green corH for 
winter use with no more trouble than is given to any 
other portion of the corn crop, All that is required is t« 
plant a field of corn, so late that it will be in the perfect 
roasting state about the time of the first frost. Cut up 
this corn and shock it in the field when the frost is ex- 
pected. Let it remain there, and take the corn from the 
stalks every day for use. It will be as sweet, tender and 
well flavored after Christmas as any corn ever is in July 
or August. We have tried this experiment for six years 
in succession, and have failed but once. The failure was 
last season. We planted at the time indicated by the suc- 
cess of previous years — that is the first or second week 
in July — upon ground from which a crop of clover had 
already been taken. But the season proved to be so fine 
and the growth so rapid that the corn was matured and 
unfit for the table long before the time to cut it up with 
safety. This disappointment might be avoided by plant- 
ing a first and second time. The first farmer who will 
act upon this suggestion will not only provide a delight- 
ful vegetable for his family, but may secure a large pro- 
fit by supplying the market-gardeners with it through 
the winter. — Exchange. 
Tree Labels. — It has always appeared to me that la- 
beling trees after they were transplanted, involved a great 
deal of useless trouble, besides often endangering their 
growth by the pressure of the wires by which they were 
fastened to the trees. I have adopted the practice of ma- 
king a little plan or map of my grounds, indicating by 
figures the position of each tree, shrub and plant. In the 
way I have indicated , a surer and never failing record may 
be preserved of any and every kind of shrubs, trees and 
plants. — Cor. Country Gentleman. 
The New Orleans Picayune has been presented with an 
apple grown in that city — “ the first New Orleans apple,” 
it says, “ we ever saw.” It grew on a tree four feet high. 
Pea Nuts or Ground Peas. — The Commissioner of 
Patents has received from Mr. Daniel Shaw, ofLillington 
Hall, North Carolina, an interesting description of the 
cultivation of this nut, which has been successfully raised 
for several years. The crop of last year (185G) amounted 
to over one thousand bushels, worth Si -25. As 
soon as the frost is out of the ground the land is broken 
up, and about the middle of April laid off with the plow 
thirty-three inches each way ; two or three peas are then 
dropped in the crosses thus made. The plants are kept 
clean with hoes and plows until the vines cover the ground; 
but no dirt is put on the vines. In October they are dug 
with a rake or plow. Hogs are then turned into the field, 
and they soon fatten upon the peas left upon the ground. 
When the vines are left upon the land for the hogs 
to feed upon, there is no crop that improves the land so 
much. 
