RANUNCULI 3. 131 



plant them in November, it must be deferred 

 till the middle of January, but not later than the 

 middle of February. The greatest danger these 

 plants are in from being injured by frost is soon 

 after they are committed to the ground, when they 

 have swelled by the moisture which they have im- 

 bibed, and have not actually begun to vegetate. 

 Should severe frosts come on at that period, the 

 spots where they are planted should be covered 

 with loose moss or straw, which, however, should 

 be removed at all favourable times, for covering 

 them too much causes them to turn mouldy, which 

 destroys the plants. When the plants appear above 

 ground, if the earth is not of that fine crumbly 

 nature to fill up the holes caused by the shoot of 

 the plants, it should be compressed with the fingers 

 quite close to the plants, which protects them from 

 cold drying winds : and if a fine light moss be laid 

 over the earth between each plant, it will greatly 

 assist their growth, by keeping the ground moist, 

 and not be offensive to the eye like straw ; and it 

 also breaks the force of hasty showers, as well as 

 that of artificial watering, which it is sometimes 

 advisable to give the plants, when the months of 

 April and May prove dry. 



About the end of June, or beginning of July, 

 the foliage will be changed and partly decayed. 

 The roots should then be taken out of the earth 



