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118 fact, it is among our best grapes ; if not equal, it is second only to the Delaware ; yet I find sale for but few, as the settlers of anew country as a general rule, do not like to take the trouble to cover it in winter with soil; which must be done in this climate, or it would be killed to the ground. In rich soil it, is not *hoar as heavy a bearer as when planted in poor soil. It is a rampant grower at first, but when well established can be controlled in the vine yard. Rich soil makes it run to wood, and not to fruit buds. These things should be understood by the begin ner, (for whom alone I write) as the practice of the novice generally is to manure heavily. I have discovered this in experiments with my own vines, as some are planted in the timber land of the valley of the Big Blue River, while others arc growing on the poorer bluffs. The beginner will make a note of this if he desires good crops from the luscious Diana. The Diana is a seedling of the Catawba, but a superior grape both for the table and wine, and like the Clinton, will keep fresh here tiil April or longer. As soon as our pioneers are educated in the t ste of grapes, I will propagate very largely of this variety, because it is an excellent grape, better than any well tested grape, except perhaps the Delaware. I will continue this subject in my next. Truly, &c. A. M. BURNS. Manhattan , Riley Co s., Kansan. From the Central Georgian. HOW TO ISA ISIS ON SONS. The Agricultural department] of the Georgian, is a fea ture which our readers in this section are very happy to recognize. And as you call upon the Farmers for contri butions, I have determined to give you my experience in the cultivation of onions, a vegetable which cannot be too highly appreciated. The onion is, as you are well aware, propagated from the seed, and cultivated, to its highest development, liom the “Set,” and from the “Button.” When l wish to bow the seed, the ground is thoroughly prepared in the month of January, in this by being deeply spaded, well manured, and finally pulverised. About the 15th of February, drills are opened about fi ;r inches deep, and filled with well pulverised manure from the “lien House, (the very best, because the strongest manure to be had.) This drill is covered level with the general surface, and a very liyht drill, not more titan one half inch deep, is opened on it, in which the seed are light ly sown. About April, they are thinned out to a “stand,” which should not leave the “Set” more than eight inches apart. The plants thinned out, should be transplanted at the same distance opart, and not bn ied deeper than they grew in the drill. My experience, how ever, is in favor of usirg the “Button,” which is planted in November, in drills prepared as above mentioned, and very .shallow. The roots of the onion do not run down, they are surface roots, ahd require the manure to be near the surface, to benefit them. The great secret in the cul tivation ol onions, is to keep them from beim/ buried in the ground. Fill your drill with manure, from the Hen house, and just cover the button or set, am »o more. Keep the grass down, and in the fall, before the tops be gin to die, move the soil from the onion, and just .leave the onion held in the ground by its roots, its superior, or upper surface entirely exposed to the action of the sun and atmostphcrc. 1 have embraced all the points I think, in this subject, and just mention, that by this system, i have grown onions weighing three-fourths of a pound, and as many as sixteen bushels on one-eigth of an acre. Very respectfully, A. i). s. Linton , Hancock county , Get., Jan. 30t h. ♦ « B» Subscribe for the Southern Cultivator. SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. WEEDS. Editors Southern Cultivator :—Are we not laboring under a mistake in considering that tveeds which interfere with the cultivation of our crops are unmitigated evils, entailed upon us as one of the punishments inflicted for man’s transgressions. That they cause us much toil, sweat and vexation, is true ; but has any one ever fairly, patient ly and scientifically investigated their properties and con stituents? V c have never seen or known anything be stowed upon them but maledictions and vengeance ; yet it is possible, and no doubt probable, they are the true friends of the tiller of the soil, if he only knew how to use them. We can see or knotv of no good reason why they may not contain as effective elements of fertility as Peruvian Guano as any other fertilizer now used. We know that some of our virgin soils, teem with the remains of vegetation, and overflowing with the elements of fer tility, in some instances, to an almost inexhaustible extent, so as to bear cropping for a hundred years, without its being necessary to manure them artificially. This fertili zing pow^r.or property may have been centuries in accu mulating, under the slow march of nature; but with our present knowledge of the sciences, can we not expedite the process of collecting these elements, and apply them when and where needed ? We know from experience that some of our most trou blesome and common weeds, contain very active and val uable fertilizing power, when properly managed. Some of the genus Ambrosia, we have noticed particularly in this respect—as it was accidentally brought to our notice in the first instance, as follows: Having a small piece of stubble in our orchard, which had become over run with Ambrosia elatior , (commonly called hog-weed,) which wo wished to use, we pulled them up about the time of bloom ing, and piled them up. There was possibly about half a half a wagon load, which lay and rotted until the ensuing spring. A piece of corn was planted near by, and as the pile of weeds had rotted nicely, we resolved to appiy it to the corn as far as it would reach. The result was, I never saw such large stalks of corn grown before, with any kind of manure. Ilad we not gathered these weeds when green, they would have ripened and dropped their seeds, and the stalks would have dried up and remained like di> sticks upon the ground, almost entirely worthless as manure. I have never seen an analysis of this plant, and do not know its constituents. It certainly contains very active and valuable fertilizing elements, which we have no doubt would pay well for t* trouble of gathering, as it always ovenuns the grounu where early crops have been culti vated. Some may say, why not turn them under with the plow when gteen, and save the trouble of gathering ? It cannot be done, as they grow from four to eight feet high. The usual way that farmers dispose of them, ; s to burn them off in the spring, receiving only the benefit of the ashes, which is but a Billing affair. When red clover rots upon the gt ound, its enriching power is very perceptible—much more so than when turned under with the plow. Those familiar with its cultivation cannot fail to have noticed it, whote patches of it have remained over winter. \\ e have adverted to these facts, to call the attention of farmers to a source of valuable manure, which we all know