54 THE RANUNCULUS BED. 
or October, being composed of about two parts rich pasture soil and 
one part old pulverisable cow manure. ‘The top four inches, however, 
should consist simply of soil to which a little sand has been added, 
that it may be preserved free, and hence little liable to cracking, the 
greatest disaster to the Ranunculus bed; the uppermost two inches, 
in which the roots are set, should contain still more sand, say one-third, 
or afourth, with this view, as well as conducing greatly to the expan- 
sion and size of the tubers themselves. When the bed becomes cracked, 
the moisture, even in the lowest parts of it, quickly evaporates, and 
the long delicate roots are torn asunder and destroyed ; hence, in very 
dry seasons, the whole surface of the bed should be carefully covered 
with nearly half an inch of sand, which is quite effectual in preventing 
the evil, and is more cleanly, more easily applied, and more beneficial 
than bark or moss. 
Notwithstanding that all practical writers on the Ranunculus have 
again and again inculcated the necessity of making the beds early, it 
will be found that five florists out of six neglect the precaution ; and 
then the universal complaint is raised, that the flower is uncertain, ca- 
pricious, and of impossible culture! I never yet knew an individual 
who did not admire the Ranunculus; nay, who did not admit, on be- 
holding a well-bloomed collection—literally presenting all the varied 
tints and colours known even to the pencil of the painter—that it was 
the first of florists’ flowers ; yet nine out of ten will conclude, with all 
the air of injured innocence and misfortune, ‘as for their parts, they 
could never grow them.” It is simply because they never fairly tried. 
To such—however undeserving—lI will now point out a “ royal road,” 
by which success is certain; at least it has proved so with me for two 
years, though I would still urge the excellency of the plan above 
pointed out. Six weeks before planting time (7. e. St. Valentine’s day), 
let the soil of the bed be dug out two feet in depth, put in four inches 
of good pasture soil, and then prepare the following solution :—-Fill 
with soft water a large tub (or garden cart, moving on wheels, which all 
should possess), put into it two or three shovelsful of fresh—quite fresh 
—cow manure, and stir it well up with.a garden rake, till it acquire 
the consistency of thin pea-soup ; pour this out with a watering-pan 
(the rose being taken off) upon the four inches of soil, till it is: com- 
pletely saturated. When the liquid is absorbed, which will be in a few 
minutes, carefully remove from the surface of the soil any small lumps 
of manure, straw, &c., which may be left thereon. Then put on other 
four inches of soil; saturate this as before, and pick off pieces of litter 
or manure; and so proceed with the rest of the bed, putting on four 
inches of soil, and saturating it with the liquid. Lastly, put on four 
inches of soil, mixed with sand, as explained at the beginning of this 
article, which must not receive any of the liquid. I have tried this 
plan two years. The first year was with roots of shy sorts, which had 
become so small that I judged them incapable of blooming in the main 
bed. ‘To my surprise, they presented the most vigorous bloom in my 
collection. Last year I tried it more generally ; and though it was 
the most unpropitious season in the memory of man for Ranunculuses, 
the roots so treated gave me a ‘plentiful bloom, while the rest of my 
