230 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
and t he moisture of the air promotes their growth. 
In such soils, most trees grow very slowly, 
and so allow the moss time to get a foot¬ 
hold on the hark, before it is cracked and thrown 
off hy the natural expansion of the tree. Now, 
abstract ihe superabundant moisture from that 
soil by draining ; manure it, too, if it needs it, and 
the tree will start at once into vigorous growth, 
throwing off the outside bark and the lichens 
with it. The draining, moreover, will so dry the 
air that lichens can with difficulty live in it. It is 
all well enough to scrape and wash mossy-barked 
trees, especially, if the moss harbors insects, but 
after this has been once done, nothing more will 
be required than to keep the soil at the roots in 
good oondition. 
BULBOUS FLOWERS FOB AUTUMN 
PLANTING. 
How many of our readers enjoy the sight 
of a bed of beautiful bulbous flowers in their 
garden or yard 1 Some of them we know do, 
while perhaps many others have never cultivated 
a single flowering bulb in their lives. For the lat¬ 
ter class, we now write. 
Bulbous flowers, such as the crocus, lily, tulip, 
hyacinth, &c., are those which grow from a bulb 
or root, of a roundish form, like an onion. They 
can be raised from the 6eed, but thus grown, they 
seldom follow the parent plant in form or beauty 
of flow'er, so that it is always preferable to get the 
bulbs or roots themselves, either of a neighbor, 
or of a seedsman Some may be planted in 
Spring, but most of them should be set out in 
Antumn, to bloom early in Spring. The snow¬ 
drop and crocus are the earliest flowers of Spring, 
and others of the bulbous flowers follow soon 
after. 
These bloom for many years without trans¬ 
planting, but it is generally preferable to take up 
and transplant them onoe in three to five years 
Some set out tho Spring flow-ering bulbs in the 
month of November, but we prefer early October 
planting, in this and more northern latitudes. 
Farther south, they may be set later. They are 
to be planted in the open ground, as described 
below, and being perfectly hardy, they require no 
Winter protection, though a covering of leaves, 
straw, or coarse manure, to be taken off in early 
Spring, will hasten the period of blooming. 
The following list comprises those which are 
most hardy, and most easily cultivated, and at 
the same time most desirable, viz.: The White, 
Tiger, and Japan Lilies ; the Fritillarias, including 
especially the Grown Imperial (F impcrialis), and 
the Persian Lily (F. Persica); Tulips ; Hyacinths; 
Jonquils; Crocus, and Snow-drops. The following 
are very beautiful, but less hardy than the above : 
Anemone, Oxalis, Polyanthus narcissus, Tube¬ 
rose, &c. The list might be much extended, but 
the first-named are sufficient for general cultiva¬ 
tion, especially for beginners. The price of these 
varies from Si per hundred for the crocus, snow¬ 
drop, &c., to 25 to 50 cents each for tulips, hya¬ 
cinths, &c. Rare kinds sell much higher. We 
append a brief description of the kinds recom¬ 
mended, with directions for culture. 
Lilies embrace a large family, some of whioh 
are found in almost every flower-garden or bor¬ 
der. They grow best on a light, deep soil, with 
plenty of muck or leaf mold—that is, black earth 
from the woods. The bulb or root, which is com¬ 
posed of scales laid over each other, is injured by 
being kept long out of ground. Plant four or five 
inches deep, where they can remain for a series 
of years. A good effect is produced by massing 
different colors. They grow from two to five feet 
in hight, and are in bloom in succession from June 
till September or October. The Japan, Garden 
White, Tiger, and Turk’s Cap, are desirable kinds. 
Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) is a fine 
showy plant, and with the Persian Fritillaria is de¬ 
sirable in a collection of bulbs. Any rich garden 
soil answers well, and the bulbs should not be 
kept very long out of ground. They are large 
and fleshy, nearly round in form, except the 
Persian, which is elongated. They only require 
transplanting once in four or five years. Plant 
four to six inches deep, and one foot apart. They 
reach a hight of two to four feet, and exhibit a 
variety of bloom in April, hanging in a crown form 
from beneath a tuft of glossy foliage. In color, 
the flowers vary from bright red, to scarlet, pink 
and striped. 
Gladiolus communis has a sword or flag-like 
foliage, producing its bloom on one side of a ra¬ 
ceme or spike of a foot or more in length, com¬ 
mencing two feet from the ground. The flowers 
are white, red and purple, opening in June and 
July. It has a firm, medium-sized bulb, which 
flourishes on any good soil. Plant two to three 
inches deep, one foot apart. Each third year is 
often enough to change them. Many of this 
family are planted in Spring for Autumn bloom. 
Tulips display an almost endless variety of co¬ 
lor, both single and double. They are very ap¬ 
propriately termed gaudy, with their unfolded 
petals glistening in every hue, from bright gold 
to pale red, white, and purple, with delicate 
stripes and penoilings of various colors. Over 
two thousand varieties have been cultivated by 
name, and new seedlings are constantly being 
added. So great was the rage for this flower in 
Belgium and Holland, that it i6 said that $6,000 
was paid for a single root during the seventeenth 
century. The bulb is pyramidal in shape, firm, of 
medium size, although differing greatly In differ¬ 
ent varieties. Plant on a light soil, well trenohed, 
and enriched wfith decomposed oow manure and 
muck, to whioh a portion of sand should be added. 
Set the bulbs four inches deep, and six inches 
apart. They are often planted in groups of three 
to five, of different colors. They may remain un¬ 
changed three or four years. The flower is borne 
on a naked stem, from one to two feet in hight. 
Hyacinths were at one time sought after about 
as eagerly as the tulip, and the fever ran so high 
that $4,000 was refused for a single Bulb. They 
must always hold a high rank with the florist, for, 
joined to a beauteous bloom of nearly every hue, 
is a delicious fragrance, telling the visitor of their 
presence by their sweet odor. The varieties are 
about as numerous as those of the tulip. The bulb 
is of rather large size, solid, and onion-shaped. It 
bears a spike or cone of bloom from the ground, 
six inches to a foot or more in hight. It flowers 
about the middle of May, and by shading it from 
the sun, the season of flowering may be prolonged 
into June. Plant, intermingling colors, four inches 
deep, and eight inches apart, in a soil similar to 
that of the tulip, surrounding each hulb with a 
little dry sand. Once in three years is sufficient 
to replant them. By all means, plant hyacinths. 
Jonquils, {Narcissus or Daffodils) are both single 
and double-flowered, varying in oolor from pure 
white to bright yellow. They bloom on the ex¬ 
tremity of a stalk twelve to fifteen inches in hight, 
surrounded by a profusion of linear foliage. The 
bulb i» small and conical, and may be planted on 
any good soil, four inches deep, and one to two 
feet apart, according to the size of the mat they 
are allowed to form. They need transplanting 
only when they have extended over too much 
ground. Bloom in April and May. 
The Crocus claims a family of at least one hun¬ 
dred varieties, which are of different colors, such 
as yellow, blue, white, striped, &c. They flowei 
in March and April, at a time when very little 
bloom is to be seen elsewhere. The bulbs are 
rather small, flat and solid, and require planting 
two inches deep, and four to six inches apart. 
They may remain unmolested for several years, 
and they flourish in any common garden soil. 
The Snow-drop or Galanthus opens the first, 
flower of Spring, not always waiting for the snow 
bank to disappear. It is frequently in bloom in 
March. The flower is of a changeless white 
color. The bulb is quite small, and nearly round. 
Plant the same as crocus, removing once in three 
to five years. 
A GENERAL BED. 
Where a limited space is devoted to bulbs, we 
suggest that one circular bed include all the above 
varieties. In a good, moderately dry soil, it will 
answer to trench the ground two feet, working 
in plenty of well-rotted manure, and plant at onoe, 
or as early as possible this month. 
If a particularly fine bed, of a moderate size, is 
desired, throw out the soil two feet in depth, in a 
circle of ten feet in diameter. Return nine inches 
of the best surface soil, and fill the remaining 
space with a mixture of one-fourth fresh loam 
from the pasture or road-side, one-fourth sand, 
one-fourth decomposed muck, one-eighth leaf 
mold (decayed leaves), and one-eighth well-de¬ 
cayed oow manure, the whole thoroughly mixed, 
and left to stand a few days before using. The 
oentre of the bed should be left six inohes, and 
the outer portion three inches higher than the sur¬ 
rounding grounds, thus giving a gradual slope for 
the descent of water. After settling for a few 
day6, commence by planting, Bay a tiger lily in 
the centre. Around this, at a distanoe of one 
foot, plant, in a circle, six lilies of different varie 
tie6, one foot apart. Let the next circle be one 
foot from the last, or tw T o feet from the centre, 
and set six crown imperials and six gladioluses, 
alternating with each other, and one foot apart. 
For the third row', one foot from the last, make 
us« of eighteen tulips planted a like distance 
apart, mingling the colors to produce tho best 
effect The fourth oircle may oontain sixteen 
hyacinths, and as many jonquils, alternating, and 
set nine inohes apart. Devote the fifth and last 
row to crocus and snow-drops, six inches apart, 
alternating them ; this row will contain thirty of 
each, six inches apart. Having tried a bed on 
very nearly this plan, we can speak confidently ol 
the general effect The taller growing varieties 
are allotted to the centre, and the dwarfs to the 
outer edge. A bed o' - this kind can be kept in 
bloom for a long time by erecting an awning over 
it during the hot days of Spring and early Sum¬ 
mer. This can easily be dene by setting a stake 
six feet in length firmly in the centre, and five 
more three feet high, at equal distances from each 
other about the circumference. Stretch a strong 
cord around the latter, and spread muslin over 
the whole when desirable, removing at night. 
Such a bed will afford an unfailing source 
pleasure, and a thousand times repay the coop, 
paratively little trouble and expense of making it 
STRAWBERRIES 
Can still be set out, with a prospect of a moder 
ate yield of fruit next season, if a little extra care 
be exercised in transplanting. We have gathered 
a fine crop from plants put out October 15. When 
practicable, take them up with a little ball of 
earth around the roots, and they will scarcely feel 
the removal. If to be carried far, let them be 
well packed in moss or other material, and spread 
out the roots well in setting. Fall directions for 
making beds, selecting varieties, Arc., were giveh 
at page 208 of the last Agriculturist, and in thq 
preceding articles. 
