383 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
tea yard or cow manure, the same amount 
of leaf mold, one-fourth well decayed muck, 
and a like quantity each of river or sea sand, 
and fresh earth from the road-side or untilled 
land. This compost should be mixed at least 
two weeks before use, and the bed made 
about ten days previous to planting. For 
mode of putting in the bulbs, we refer to the 
special descriptions of varieties below, pre¬ 
mising that the directions are for planting in 
a common garden soil, but when practica¬ 
ble, we advise preparing a bed as above. 
We begin with those requiring the earliest 
planting, and follow in regular course. 
snow dhop. 
This is the earliest flower of spring, and 
derives its name from the circumstance of 
its often appearing in full bloom while snow 
is still upon the ground, together with the 
pearly white appearance of its petals. It is 
sometimes called snow flake. The bulbs 
are quite small, and may be planted during 
August and September, either singly or in 
clumps of from six to twelve ; cover with H 
or 2 inches of soil. They are only about six 
inches high when in bloom, which is during 
March and April in this latitude. Every 
third year is often enough to lift them, which 
should be done about the first of June. 
CROWN IMPERIAL. 
There are many varieties of this plant, 
nearly all of which are natives of Persia. 
They are hardy and very showy when in 
full bloom during April and May. The stem 
shoots up from two to three, and in some 
situations even four feet, and is capped by a 
tuft of green glossy foliage, beneath which 
hangs the crown of beautiful bell-shaped 
flowers varying on different plants from 
bright yellow to scarlet, red and striped. 
The bulbs are large, fleshy, and somewhat 
solid, and require to be kept wrapped in 
paper or packed in sand while out of the 
ground, but they only require moving every 
fourth or fifth year. Plant in August and 
September, covering with three or four 
inches of earth. Some object to this bulb 
on account of its rank odor, but the luxuri¬ 
ant growth and fine hues of its flowers at a 
season when very few plants are in bloom 
are such as to recommend its culture. 
LILIES. 
The Lily tribe, which is very numerous, 
is an interesting class of plants, many of 
which are so common, and so easy of culti¬ 
vation as to require little instruction relative 
to treatment. Well decomposed muck, mix¬ 
ed freely with scrapings of the barn-yard, is 
a good compost. If a covering of straw 
from the stable, mixed Avith coarse manure, 
be given them in the Fall they will start 
with more vigor. Plant from August to Octo¬ 
ber, covering the bulbs from three to five 
inches, according as they are Aveak or strong¬ 
growing varieties. 
The Lilium candidum, (common white lily 
of the garden,) has long been esteemed as 
an emblem of Avhiteness and purity, and 
should not fail to have a place in every col¬ 
lection. It blooms in July upon the extrem¬ 
ities of the stalks which are from three to 
four feet high, and need supporting by stakes. 
It requires transplanting but seldom, Avhich 
should be done in August or September. 
The Lilium tigrinum, or Tiger lily, is 
found in almost every floAver garden, and is 
very suitable for either border or shrubbery. 
It grOAVs from 4 to 6 feet high and blooms in 
August. The flower stalks should be sup¬ 
ported to prevent being broken by severe 
storms. It is very hardy and may be moved 
at almost any time, Fall or Spring, but bet¬ 
ter during September and October. Tiger 
lilies may be raised in large quantities from 
the small bulbs found grorving. upon the ax¬ 
ils of the leaves, a peculiarity which distin¬ 
guishes this variety from others of the same 
genus. 
The Longiflorum or long flowered lily is 
a beautiful and fragrant variety Avith pure 
white petals Avhich open in July. 
CROCUS. 
There are some fifty varieties of this hardy 
plant which, though humble, are neverthe¬ 
less beautiful. They are natives of Holland 
and SAvitzerland. They bloom here early 
in April, and are planted from September to 
November, in rows a few inches from the 
border, or in beds of distinct colors, the 
bulbs being set four inches apart, and one to 
tAvo inches deep. They may remain several 
years Avithout moving. The great variety 
of hues, extreme hardiness, and early season 
of flowering, render them quite Avorthy of 
cultivation. 
TULIP. 
This bulb has attained a renoAvn excelled 
by no other plant, having been extensively 
cultivated for about 300 years ; and so great 
was the mania, that at one time—about the 
years 1635 and 1636—the Dutch people of 
all classes engaged in the Tulip trade: sin¬ 
gle bulbs sold for $1,000 to $2,000, and, ac¬ 
cording to Dodsley, even as high as $5,000. 
T. Bridgeman says that in some of the gar¬ 
dens of.Holland 1,100 varieties are cultivated 
by name. It is a native of the Levant, and 
from the gorgeous colors and endless com¬ 
bination of tints penciled on its cup, has re¬ 
ceived the appellations of “ King of FIoav- 
ers,” “ Reigning Beauty of the Garden,” &c. 
We shall not attempt to describe the end¬ 
less varieties, some of Avhich are dAvarfish 
in their habits while others are from two to 
three feet in height, some blooming in the 
early part of May, and others not till the end 
of that month. Plant during October or 
early in November in groups along borders, 
or in beds six to eight inches apart each 
Avay. Clumps of three to six bulbs of differ¬ 
ent colors have a fine appearance along a 
border, or a circular bed may be made by 
spading deep and mixing in sand and muck, 
after Avhich set the tallest groAving plants in 
the centre and form consecutive circles 
with the dAvarf varieties for the outer border, 
interspersing all the different hues. Let 
such a bed have a gradual inclination from 
the centre to the outer edge, and cover the 
bulbs with three to four inches of earth, 
placing a little dry sand around each. The 
names of each variety should be registered 
in a book, so that no unsightly tallies need 
be seen in the bed, which should be smoothly 
raked off and kept free from Aveeds. 
up every third year, about four weeks after 
blooming. 
HYACINTH. 
The traffic in this bulb has not fallen far 
beloAv that of the Tulip. Bridgeman states 
that 1,300 varieties by name have been cul¬ 
tivated in Holland, and Mr. Dutens says in 
his travels, that he has knoAvn 10,000 florins 
($4,000) refused for a single Hyacinth. It 
is valued for the great variety of its hues, 
being of almost every shade of color, from 
pure Avhite to pink, red, crimson, purple, 
blue and yelloAv; it also has a delightful 
perfume. Hyacinths are very hardy and 
easily cultivated, commencing to bloom about 
the middle of April, and if shaded from the 
mid-day sun, Avill continue in flower for a 
month. The stalks are about one foot high, 
and covered with florets or small bells of 
every hue, Avith red, blue or purple eyes, 
giving the bed a very beautiful appearance. 
Plant firm, sound bulbs in October and No¬ 
vember in beds similar to those for the tulip. 
Set them eight inches apart and cover three 
or four inches, having previously put a little 
fine sand about the bulb. The floAvers Avail 
be more perfect and of an improved size if 
the beds are covered during Winter Avith 
coarse manure or straw. The bulbs can be 
taken up in about one month after they have 
completed their blooming season, or they 
may remain for tAvo or three years. 
A good bed of bulbs is formed by prepar¬ 
ing the ground as described for tulips, and 
planting all the above-named varieties in the 
same bed at one time, so arranging them 
that a clump of the tallest kind shall be in 
the centre and the others planted in circular 
roAvs, the first being about one foot from the 
centre, the second one foot from the firsts 
and so on, arranging the colors to suit the 
fancy. These will form a fine succession 
of blooming plants from the latter end of 
March to June. By erecting an aAvningover 
the bed Avhen beginning to bloom and shad¬ 
ing from the mid-day sun, they may be kept 
in floAver some days longer. Previous to 
their decay the space between the roAvs may 
be soavii Avith annuals, which by the time 
the foliage of the bulbs has withered and the 
bulbs themselves been lifted, will serve to 
cover Avhat would othenvise be naked 
ground, (ahvays unseemly in a flower gar¬ 
den) and yield during the latter part of Sum¬ 
mer and Autumn a profusion of other Aoav- 
ers. 
A good average time for planting Avill be 
about the middle of September, Avhich is the 
season Ave intend to plant a nerv bed on this 
plan.—[E d. 
Preserving Butter. —“ It is said” that 
butter Avill keep for a long time, if each 
pound be treated Avith one ounce of the fol- 
loAving composition recommended by Dr. 
Allen, viz. : Salt 2 parts ; saltpetre l part; 
sugar 2 parts. 
A fool, says the Arab proverb, may be 
known by six things ; anger Avithout cause, 
speech without profit, change Avithout mo¬ 
tive, iniquity Avithout object, putting trust in 
a stranger, and not lmoAving his friends from 
his foes. 
Take 
