62 THE FLORIST. 



ON THE 



VARIOUS MODES OF PREPARING RANUNCULUS BEDS. 



Having seen the Ranunculus cultivated in many instances with less 

 success than I could desire, I am anxious to offer through your pages 

 a suggestion to your practical readers, and to solicit their co-opera- 

 tion in a proposed experiment. 



I have eagerly read all I could meet with of the writings of Mad- 

 dock, V/illiamson, Hogg, Tyso, Glenny, Miles, Lightbody, Horner, 

 Reid, Brown, Carr, Harrison, &c,, respecting the culture of this 

 flower ; and while I find almost uniformly the highest importance 

 attached to the preparation of the compost and making the bed, yet 

 the mode of procedure is very diversified. Loam, dung, and sand, are 

 ingredients usually approved, but variously applied. The plans of 

 these writers, though differing in detail, may be arranged under three 

 heads : 



1. Mix the manure and soil equally throughout the bed. 



2. Place a stratum of six or more inches of pure manure at about 

 as many inches below the surface. 



3. Apply the manure in a liquid form, pouring it on successive 

 layers of soil till the mass is saturated, except the surface-layer of 

 two or three inches. 



With respect to sand, one class advise mixing it with the soil ; 

 another, sprinkling it over the tubers at planting ; and the third, its 

 use as a top-dressing an inch thick after the plants are up. 



I know one or two extensive growers are this season about to try 

 a small bed on each of the three schemes, and intend to plant, as 

 Dr. Horner recommends, about St. Valentine's day. My object is to 

 invite those cultivators whose stocks admit of experimentalising to 

 make a similar trial ; to prepare the beds carefully, to note atten- 

 tively the results during growth, and the final issues in vigour of 

 bloom and health of tubers. The relative success of the three plans 

 should be reported in detail through your pages about the month of 

 August ; so that you might give in a condensed form in one of your 

 autumn numbers the aggregate approvals and disapprovals of such 

 persons as may be induced to make the experiment. The document 

 would be of infinite value to all who are interested in this flower, as 

 the evidence would not be from any one particularly favoured locality 

 or soil, but, embracing every variety of condition, might be safely 

 directive in future to your readers throughout the country. 



Crowfoot. 



THE HARDINESS OF GLADIOLI. 



Finding that my remarks at the close of last year, p. 295, respect- 

 ing the hardiness of the Gladioli tribe have elicited some observa- 

 tions from a correspondent who does not unite with me on that 



