52 THE AURICULA AND RANUNCULUS. 



on their roots. Take off these in February, and 

 plunge them into pots of the mould they like best, 

 to root freely. They will do so in two months. 

 Auriculas should not be to much watered, as it 

 makes them look sickly, and the leaves become 

 yellow. When you pot the auriculas, sink them up 

 to their leaves in the soil, but do not press the mould 

 round the plant, as the flowers bloom finest when 

 the roots touch the sides of the flower pot. 



The auricula is esteemed fine that has a low 

 stem, a stalk proportioned to the flower, the eye 

 well opened and always dry. The glossy, the 

 velvet, and the streaked auriculas are the most ad- 

 mired. The stalk should be decked with many 

 flower-bells, to be handsome and healthy. 



Take care to pull off all dead leaves round the 

 plant at all times, that it may appear neat and clean. 

 Neatness is favorable to its perfect growth, as well 

 as decorating it to the eye. 



The Ranunculus does not like being mixed up 

 with other flowers, and from this "aristocratic 

 principle," it is always planted in separate knots. 



This flower loves sun and warmth. The root 

 must be planted in September, to bloom early in the 

 summer, and it delights in a rich moist soil, well 

 dug, and raked soft and fine. When you plant 

 them in beds or pots, they must be sunk two inches 

 deep, and dibble the hole with a round, not pointed, 

 dibble. Place the roots four or five inches apart, 

 in the warmest situation in your garden. By plant- 

 ing ranunculuses in pots, you can more easilv place 

 them in warm situations, and withdraw them from 

 heavy rains. The more room you give these roots 

 the finer they will grow and blow. If your plots 

 will allow of so doing, let the roots be planted six 



