ON THE CULTURE OF THE RANUNCULUS. 29 



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become dry. Should wet weather occur just when the young roots 

 are attaining to maturity, it will be advisable to place the box under 

 glass. Take up the roots as the foliage withers down, and place them 

 in a paper-bag in a dry place, where the)' may remain till the follow- 

 ing February, when they are to be planted in the open ground and 

 treated like the general stock. As the young roots are in general 

 very small, be careful not to break them when planting : fix the 

 claws firmly into the soil, and be certain that the crowns are, upper- 

 most. They may be planted a little closer than large roots ; but small 

 as the roots appear when planted, very few will miss blooming. It is 

 rather a tedious process the planting a quantity of such small roots; 

 but the enthusiastic florfst will not complain at cold fingers and the 

 time taken up to do this work correctly, for he expects to be rewarded 

 with some fine new flowers to gratify him for his trouble and procure 

 himself a name that will be famed among cultivators. 



It too often happens that some of the young plants bloom in the 

 seed-box : it is generally August or September before they do so. 

 When this occurs, and there is a fine sort among them, there is no 

 other way to preserve it than removing the box to a greenhouse or 

 frame, where it should be kept dry and protected from frost till the 

 root is matured. 



These observations contain the practice I adopt, and I have no 

 doubt that, if followed out, the youngest tyro may command success. 



It may be asked, why all this trouble with the preparation of the 

 soil? The answer is, experience has taught me that Ranunculus 

 seed sown in soil whose temperature has not been much lowered 

 vegetates much better than" in soil that has been exposed to frost 

 and rain through a part of the winter. Let any person try the 

 difference ; they will find that three seeds for one will vegetate in 

 the prepared soil compared with seed sown in ordinary soil; besides, 

 the larvse of worms, &c, that may remain in the soil when laid past, 

 will all be hatched by the time it is put through hand the second 

 time. They will then be detected. A single worm getting into a seed- 

 box will come up to the surface through the night, and, by disturbing 

 the seeds, will cause much mischief, if not destroy the whole. 



Such is my mode of culture resulting from the experience of many 

 years. I can with confidence recommend it as safe and practicable. 

 There are few persons now alive who have made more experiments 



