DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 339 



the summer or autumn, take the earliest opportunity, in 

 the spring succeeding, to stir up the bed one spit, and 

 take off one and a half inch of the soil ; then place the 

 plants in an uj)right position on the surface, six inches 

 apart each way, and rej^lace the soil carefully, which will 

 cover the crown of the Ranunculus about one and one- 

 half incli ; deeper planting would be injurious. After 

 the plants appear, keep them free from weeds and press 

 the soil firmly around them after they get two inches 

 high. If the weather prove dry, water them freely early 

 in the morning, and shade them from the sun from 9 A. 

 M., to 3 o'clock, P. M. As soon as the foliage becomes 

 yellow, take the roots up, and dry them thoroughly in 

 the shade, and keep them in a dry place." 



" The Ranunculus loves a cool and moist location, but 

 no stagnant water should be permitted, nor should they 

 be placed under the shade or drippings of trees. The 

 morning sun, free circulation of air, and shade, as direct- 

 ed, will ensure success." 



The root of the Ranunculus is a cluster of small tubers, 

 like claws, united in the crown, which send up several 

 bipartite leaves and an erect, branched stem, eight or 

 twelve inches high, with a terminating flower, variously 

 colored. It is a native of the Levant, and was cultivated 

 by Gerarde in 1596. Though rather a tender j^lant, in- 

 numerable and highly beautiful double flowered varieties 

 have been raised from seed, chiefly by the English florists, 

 from the middle to the latter end of tlie last century. In 

 a Dutch catalogue, about seven hundred varieties were 

 named a few years since, and in an English catalogue 

 about five hundred. 



Criterion for a fine Dojable RanunGulus. — The stem 

 should be strong, straight, and from eight to twelve 

 inches high, supporting a large well-formed blossom or 

 corolla at least two inches in diameter, consisting of nu- 



