Cultivation and Management of the Ranunculus. 363 



foliage, together with the flower-stems, have turned yellow 

 and withered, they are ready for taking up ; and. rather than 

 any risk of their new growth should be incurred, it is better 

 at once to remove those which present this appearance, than 

 to defer the operation till the whole are ready. It is a useful 

 and necessary precaution, when the weather, two or three 

 weeks after their flowering, becomes warm and showery, to 

 replace the top awning, leaving the sides exposed, as by thus 

 keeping off" the wet, their disposition to new growth is coun- 

 teracted. 



In conclusion, I may observe, that I Avas led to adopt the 

 practice of using fresh cow-manure in summer, from having 

 found that, when the soil of the bed was well watered, a 

 short time before planting, with fresh liquid manure, the 

 plants grew most vigorously. Since, however, it is some- 

 what troublesome withal, I adopted its application as now 

 pointed out. 



It will, of course, be seen that such method of using it is 

 not the recommendation of fresh manure in which to grow 

 the ranunculus, for fresh manures are wholly prejudicial to 

 it. It is, in truth, no longer fresh manure in February ; but 

 the soil of the bed has become impregnated with all its invig- 

 orating properties — unwasted or dissipated by the long expo- 

 sure and frequent turnings, &c., in the compost heap : the 

 practice is as successful as it is sound in principle. 



It will constantly be found, that in the case of those plants 

 which do not bloom, but, on the contrary, that look dwind- 

 ling and out of health, the soil around their crowns is loose ; 

 hence, it is absolutely necessary, at least twice during their 

 growth, to compress it firmly with the fingers immediately 

 around them. This looseness of soil is produced, in the first 

 instance, by the protrusion of the abundant foliage, and, at 

 an after period, by worms, which make their holes close to, 

 or even in the midst of, the plants. Let it, then, ever be 

 borne in mind, that this operation has to be performed as 

 soon as the foliage has fairly appeared above ground; and 

 again about three weeks afterwards, when it has obtained its 

 full growth. 



When circumstances will not admit of the bed being made 

 in "a somewhat shaded locality," but, on the contrary. 



