1850. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
365 
Fitf. 1- 
vitaes, will bear pruning into any shape or dimen¬ 
sions. 
The ornamental effect of the grounds is much in¬ 
creased by the introduction of a few flower beds, 
cut into the turf, as shown in the figures. At the 
same time, the bad appearance which is some times 
given by cutting up the whole front yard into beds 
for flowers, is wholly avoided. No arrangement of 
grounds should ever be made which dispenses with 
turf in immediate connexion with the dwelling. 
Fig. 2 is intended as a plan for a more limited 
space. A small inconspicuous gate at the right, 
opens a direct passage to the kitchen. In both in¬ 
stances, the kitchen garden, if any, occupies the 
ground back of the house. 
A long chapter might be given relative to the 
selection and suitable disposition of the shrubs, and 
the flowering plants for the beds. This must be 
left mainly to the knowledge and taste of the pro¬ 
prietor or of the person he employs. It may be 
however observed, that such shrubs should be chosen 
as will appear well throughout the season, whether 
in blossom or not; and that if possible, the flowers 
for the beds should form a constant succession 
throughout the season. By commencing with the 
spring flowering bulbs, following those with herba¬ 
ceous perennials, and closing with the finest an¬ 
nuals, a good succession may be kept up; and if in 
addition to these, a supply of the most brilliant 
green-house plants can be procured, the result will 
be highly satisfactory. It would be desirable in any 
case, to raise the plants in the back garden, until 
near the period of flowering, when they should be 
removed, roots, earth, and all, to the beds. Green¬ 
house plants in pots, are very easily and safely set 
out; and an equal advantage is derived by growing 
the others in pots for this purpose. 
A very few words as to the treatment of the grass: 
before it is sown the soil should be trenched two 
or three feet deep if possible, and made rich with 
manure; this will keep up a fresh green color through 
the dryest summer. The seed may be sown early 
in spring; and if at the rate of two or three bushels 
per acre, it will in a very few weeks form a beauti¬ 
ful carpet of green. It must then be mowed with 
a lawn scythe, and if the mowing is afterwards con¬ 
tinued and repeated as often as once a week, not a 
day less frequent, or as soon as a cut one inch high 
can be taken ofi‘ with the scythe, it will soon rival 
in smoothness and softness the surface of velvet 
itself. 
New-York Agricultural Transactions. 
The ninth volume of the Transactions of the 
New-York State Agricultural Society, for a copy of 
which the writer is indebted to B. P. Johnson, cor¬ 
responding Secretary, contains as usual a great deal 
of matter of the highest value. The lectures of 
Prof. Johnston, last winter at Albany, on the appli¬ 
cation of science to agriculture, occupying 107 
pages; and Prof. Norton’s Prize Essay on agricultu¬ 
ral chemistry and geology, are neither of them pro¬ 
ductions of any ephemeral or ordinary character, 
and are rendered more valuable by the well known 
freedom of their authors from the chimeras which 
have bewildered some other eminent modern chem¬ 
ists. But we must pass all these, and notice at pre¬ 
sent more particularly some of the portions of the 
volume relating to horticultural subjects. 
Analysis of the Apple. —An interesting paper 
on the analysis of the fruit of the apple, by Dr. 
Salisbury, furnishes some facts worthy of notice. 
Owing to the lateness of the season, (in spring,) 
before the analysis was commenced, the following 
sorts only were examined, viz: Swaar, Kilham Hill, 
Rhode Island Greening, English Russet, Roxbury 
Russet, and Talman Sweeting. From the numer¬ 
ous tables of results, the following facts are drawn: 
The English russet contains less water and more 
dry matter than any of the other sorts. This is 
doubtless the reason why this variety is so hard to 
freeze. The Talman sweeting contains more, the 
Greening still more, and the Kilham Hill most of all; 
ranging in all these from 79 to 86 per cent. Afresh 
potato contains about as much water as the russet. 
These results show the reason that apples when 
manufactured into cider, produce nearly their own 
bulk of juice, a fact which has often puzzled many 
who merely regarded the solid nature of the fruit. 
A striking difference in the composition of the 
apple and potato, is the entire absence of starch in 
the former, while in the latter it constitutes about 
one half of the solid part. The apple, according 
to this analysis, is rather superior to the potato in 
fat producing qualities, and which accords with the 
experience of some accurate farmers. The apple 
contains about twice as much of the compounds of 
nitrogen as the potato. 
The russets were found to contain a larger por¬ 
tion of tannic and gallic acids than other sorts. 
These acids impart astringency, and are indicated 
by the black color given to a knife of iron or steel 
used in cutting this fruit. The apple is rich in 
phosporic and sulphuric acids, and potash and soda. 
Hence we may infer that bone dust, ashes, salt and 
plaster, would be likely to prove useful as portions 
of the manure applied to bearing trees, in addition 
to what is already contained in yard manure. 
Keeping Grapes in Winter. —At the agricultu¬ 
ral discussions, -• Marks, of Greene county, 
stated that 11 he had kept Isabella grapes in kiln- 
dried hemlock saw-dust till April, and they came 
out well. They were kept in a cool room where 
there was no frost. The past year, he used ma- 
