THE FLORIST. 43 



delighted with a never-failing bloom ; and, what imparts the greatest 

 of all pleasures to the florist, a fresh addition to my former beauties 

 every year in the shape of new seedlings. 



I will now give you my system, which I believe to be that also 

 of Mr. Ty=?o and others in our vicinity. From my seedling bed, I 

 pull out all that are bad in colour and marking, and select only such 

 as possess fine qualities, and a good number of petals, to save seed 

 from. By this continued careful selection of seed- bearers, an annual 

 improvement is apparent. I have a seedling bed to bloom every 

 season, and have never had a failure during twenty years' culti- 

 vation. I am anxious that the minds of growers should be disabused 

 of the notion, that the Ranunculus is a barren, bloomless tribe of 

 flowers, blossoming only in favourable moist seasons, or under the 

 regime of this or that particular cultivation. I never try any nostrum, 

 but am content with refreshing my beds annually with a few bar- 

 rowfuls of maiden earth mixed with pig or horse dung. Cow dung, 

 which is so frequently recommended, I have never used. 



It is my opinion, founded on long experience, that the Ranunculus 

 degenerates by age ; and even the flowers raised, as above stated, 

 suffer in progress of time, so that some of my earliest products are 

 small in comparison with their original size ; and I believe no change 

 of soil or climate can possibly bring them back to their former vigour. 

 This opinion is well founded, and great pains have been taken before 

 I arrived at this conclusion. 



It will be evident from the above statement, that, if any one 

 would wish to be a successful grower of this favourite flower, he must 

 first begin by purchasing seed or youthful seedlings. Care must be 

 taken to cover, after the bloom is over, those he wishes to save seed 

 from till ripe, as wet or moisture will prevent the seed maturing. 

 He must sow the seed after Mr. Tyso's receipt, only let the time 

 be the beginning of March instead of autumn, as autumnal sowing is 

 not so desirable. 



If the seeds be successfully raised, and the roots matured, they 

 will produce the second year the most luxuriant foliage, and a cer- 

 tain bloom, in any season, provided the roots be planted in good 

 soil of sufficient depth. 



In conclusion, I shall illustrate my position by reference to a bed 

 of Mr. Turner's, of Chalvey, which I saw last season. One half of 

 a long bed had been planted with old named sorts, on which there 

 was hardly a vestige of bloom visible ; the other half had been 

 planted with seedlings, which were flowering for the first time, and 

 they presented one mass of luxuriant foliage and blossom ; so that 

 here, in one bed, in the same soil, and receiving the same treatment, 

 were the two classes of Ranunculus, — the old and the young ; the 

 latter in health and vigour, while the former were dwindling to 

 decay. 



Benson. Richard Costar. 



