THE FLORAL WOULD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 15 



having a great many already, and being enamoured of them, intend 

 to order all Mr. Hibberd's new varieties, feeling confident I shall 

 have something new and good ; for amongst our practical men he 

 appears to be pre-eminently a master of this popular flower. 



I am quite aware I have named only very " common. " subjects, 

 but better to have our greenhouses filled with things we can really 

 manage than incur the risk of disappointment by attempting that 

 which in our circumstances is beyond our skill and opportunity. 

 Brixton. W. B. B. 



CULTIVATION OF THE EANUNCULUS. 



jO bring the ranunculus to perfection requires generous 

 cultivation; in a poor soil or a dry climate it languishes, 

 and soon becomes degenerate ; and at certain seasons it 

 requires vigilant watchfulness, or all previous expense 

 and labour may be lost. But it deserves all the atten- 

 tion that may be necessary ; and as there need be no mystery about 

 its cultivation, so every lover of high-classed flowers ma}^ adopt it 

 as a familiar friend. If you turn to some of the older writers, or 

 question some of the older growers of this flower, you will learn 

 that nothing is more difficult than to grow a fine ranunculus ; 

 failure is seen to be more frequent than success ; and the whole of 

 this is to be attributed to the quackery and empiricism of men 

 incapable of reasoning on the commonest garden operations. 



The ranunculus is a tuber which throws out a bunch of fibres, 

 that strike downwards into the soil ; it is perennial, loves moderate 

 moisture, and a firm loamy bottom ; and as it blooms in the hottest 

 and driest months of the year, it needs frequent watering and occa- 

 sional top-dressing to prevent excessive evaporation. 



The proper soil is a rich mellow loam, the proper manure well- 

 rotted cow or horse-dung ; recent manure ruins it ; so do any 

 exciting compounds of night-soil, blood, or chemical stimulants, or 

 excessive quantities of manure of any kind, all of which have been 

 recommended in bewildering numbers, and the proportions stated 

 with ridiculous precision. If the soil of the garden is at all suitable, 

 manure it well in preference to preparing composts ; if it is not of a 

 loamy and somewhat crumbly character, procure the top-spit of an 

 old pasture — one in which buttercups abound is best — ridge this up, 

 turn it occasionally for six months or more, and with this and well- 

 rotted dung prepare your bed. 



A model ranunuclus bed would be formed of loamy soil that had 

 been ridged up and turned over once a month for a year. The old 

 soil would then be taken out to a depth of fifteen inches, a layer of 

 rotten cow-manure two inches thick would then be placed in it, the 

 old sweetened soil would then be worked up well with half its quan- 

 tity of decayed stable and cow-manure, and with this it would be 

 filled up, and then edged either with some neat and low-growing 



