RANUNCULUS. 
that the tines may form an angle 
with the soil above 45°. In the 
latter case it is desirable that the | 
tines should slide along the sur- 
face ; but in the former it is neces- 
sary that they should penetrate into 
it throughout nearly their whole 
length. 
Ranu'ncutus.—Ranunculdcee.— 
The Ranunculus. 
flowers, and florists’ flowers. The | 
latter consist of some hundreds of | 
varieties obtained from the species | 
Raninculus asidticus, a native of | 
the Levant with tuberous roots, 
which is rather too tender to endure 
The species may | 
be divided into two kinds; border) 
a cold frame. 
the winter in the open air without | 
some kind of protection. 
plant grows naturally in Persia, in 
The wild | 
meadows which are moist during | 
winter and in the growing season, 
mer. Hence one of the first requi- 
varieties are all double and in a 
highly artificial state, the soil re- | 
quires to be made very rich with 
leaf-mould, or the mould of hotbed 
dung. The common season for 
planting the Ranunculus is Novem- 
ber ; the roots may be placed about 
six inches apart every way, covered 
with two inches of soil, and protect- 
ed by straw, mats, or rotten tan, 
during severe frosts. The plants 
will come into flower in July, and 
when the leaves wither, the roots 
may be taken up, dried in the shade, 
and preserved in a dry place till 
they are wanted for re-planting. A 
great many named kinds may be 
procured in the seed-shops, the most 
distinct of which are the Turban, 
or very dark red, the orange, the 
white, and the a or cut-leaved. 
As the plant seeds freely even when 
semi-double, new sorts without end 
may be raised from seed, which 
may be sown in pots or flat pans as 
soon as it is gathered, and placed in 
}in March. 
but dry during great part of sum- | 
RANUNCULUS. 
Those persons whe 
wish to grow the Ranunculus as 7} 
prize flower, should consult Hogg’: 
Treatise on the Ranunculus, o 
‘some other work exclusively devo. 
ted to florists’ flowers; but for pri- 
vate gardens, it may be sufficient 
to remark the following particulars 
The tubers, if kept dry, will retain 
their vitality for two or three years; 
and hence, if roots which should 
be planted in November, are kept 
out of the ground till the November 
following, and then planted and 
protected from frost, and when they 
appear above ground put into 
greenhouse heat, they will flower 
at Christmas. If not planted till 
December, they will flower about 
the end of January, and if not 
planted till January, they will flower 
In this way, by always 
having a stock of old roots, and 
| planting some every month in the 
sites in the culture of this flower is | 
aloamy soil kept moist; and as the | 
year, Ranunculuses may be had in 
flower, all the year round. It is 
necessary, however, in the case of 
all those planted between March 
and November, to supply the beds 
abundantly with water so as to 
keep the soil continually moist ; 
and if they are not shaded during 
the mid-day sun, they will be very . 
deficient both in size and colour. 
The common mode of propagating 
the Ranunculus is by separating the 
offsets from the larger roots. 
The common Crowfoots are Bni- 
tish weeds; but there are several 
border flowers belonging to this 
family which are well deserving of 
cultivation, and of which the fol- 
lowmg are the most remarkable: 
R.aconitifolius, the white-flowered 
Bachelor’s Button, an old inhabit- 
ant of British gardens, prolific in 
double white flowers in May and 
June, and very ornamental; &. 
acris flore pléno, the double-flow- 
ered yellow Bachelor’s Button, 
which flowers in June and July, is. 
also a very desirable plant; as are 
