CHAP. VIII.] ANEMONES. '243 



garden mould. The advantages gained bv 

 digging the earth in November, though the 

 roots are not planted till February, are, that the 

 ranunculuses are thus planted on a hard bottom, 

 which suits them particularly; and that the 

 gardener is not obliged to dig the earth to mix 

 the cow-dung with it in February, when the 

 ground is generally sloppy, and in a very unfit 

 state for being worked." "When the plants are 

 about to flower, an awning may be erected over 

 the bed to protect them from the effects of the 

 sun, which is apt to destroy the brilliancy of 

 their colours. In frosty weather, they should 

 be protected by a mat, day and night, as the 

 sun will do them serious injury if they have 

 been at all affected by the frost. The plants 

 should be constantly watered in dry weather 

 with a weak solution of cow-dung in water. 

 The tubers should be taken up as soon as the 

 leaves begin to turn brown, which will generally 

 be in July. Groom is considered to keep the 

 best ranunculuses. 



The Anemones of florists are all hybrids and 

 varieties derived from three original species, 

 viz. x-vnemone coronaria (the Garland or Poppy 

 Anemone), the sepals of which are rounded at 

 the tip, and white, with a red ring round the 

 centre inside the flower; A. hort£nsis (the 

 Garden Anemone), the sepals of which are 

 pointed and purplish, with a white centre; and 

 A. stellata (the Star Anemone), the sepals of 

 which are purplish and of one colour through- 

 out. Of these, the best are the Dutch ane- 

 mones, which are varieties of A. coronaria, and 



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