6 ON THE CULTURE OF THE RANUNCULUS. 



for the surface of the beds, frequently to the action of the sun. It 

 also allows ample time for the consolidation of the beds, so as to 

 make them retentive of moisture, to insure a strong bloom. 



There must be at the least two feet of good soil in depth ; if there 

 is not, the substrata will require to be removed and replaced with 

 rich soil of a retentive nature. 



My practice is to remove the surface of my beds annually to the 

 depth of nine inches. The subsoil is then turned up a whole space 

 in depth, and well broken. I usually allow my beds to remain in 

 this state for a day or two to sweeten the 6ubsoil as much as possible, 

 by exposure to sun and air. I then throw into the beds about four 

 inches of old cow-dung not less than one year old, breaking it well. 

 I then sprinkle over it some new slackened lime finely sifted ; shake 

 up the dung so that the lime may penetrate through every part of it 

 to destroy all the worms ; after this rake the clung level, and fill up 

 with the soil intended for the surface : as the beds subside, fill up 

 with soil reserved for the purpose. 



The benefit resulting from the use of lime is, it corrects the 

 acidity in the clung, and the cultivator will not be troubled with many 

 earth worms in his beds, casting out his roots and making their ugly 

 casts on the surface, also making the soil pervious to the drying 

 winds of spring. 



For my subsoil I use a rich clayey friable loam, very retentive ; 

 but I prefer a rich light soil for the surface. 



During the preparation of the beds, destroy everything that appears 

 in the shape of vermin in the soil ; — soil for the Ranunculus cannot 

 be too free from these pests. If there is wire worm spare no labour 

 to eradicate them, catch them and break them, give them no quarter, 

 for they are the most destructive enemy that the florist has to en- 

 counter. 



The best edging for the beds is a neat wood, one rising about two 

 inches above the level of the paths ; it harbours no vermin, and its 

 utility will be perceptible when we come to the planting time. 



Rake the surface of the beds occasionally j and during frost, break 

 the surface with a spade and pile up the frozen clods to allow the 

 frost to penetrate as far as it will, but don't disturb the dung. Rake 

 the soil level when a thaw takes place; this helps to keep the soil 

 sweet, and destroy any vermin that may be in it. 



