168 TjHE PLEASURE, OR [FEB. 



reasonable proportion of air at favorable opportunities : by this means 

 you will have a fine crop of seedlings, handsomely advanced towards 

 the beginning of May ; when, after all danger from frost is over, 

 (for these being tenderly raised, would be subject to injury there- 

 from), take the pots or boxes out of the frame, and place them where 

 they can have only the morning sun till ten o'clock, and that of the 

 afternoon after five, during the remainder of the summer. The mid- 

 day sun you must carefully guard against, for it would totally destroy 

 your plants. 



Snails and slugs being utter enemies to these plants, whilst in a 

 seedling state, it will be necessary, so soon as you sow the seeds, and 

 before placing the pots and boxes in a hot-bed, or under the protection 

 of glasses without bottom heat, for either method will do, to make 

 lines of short, coarse, strong hair, about half an inch or better in 

 diameter, to tie round each pot or box, immediately under the rim ; 

 the line being tied, trim the long loose hairs around it with a pair of 

 scissors, to a quarter of an inch in length, which short prickly hairs 

 will, as often as snails or the like approach it, in the act of ascending 

 the sides of the pots or boxes, prick them, cause them to change 

 their course, and thereby finally protect the young plants from ene- 

 mies which would in a few hours, totally eat up the finest crops, par- 

 ticularly the auriculas. 



TULIPS, HYACINTHS, ANEMONES AND RANUNCULUSES. 



Defend the beds of the more curious or valuable tulips, hyacinths, 

 anemones, and ranunculuses, from frost, snow, and cold or excessive 

 rains ; the plants will now begin to appear above ground, and the 

 beds wherein the finest of the flower-roots are planted, should now, 

 where intended, and if not done before, be arched over with hoops ; 

 and in frosty or extremely bad weather, let mats or canvas be drawn 

 over them, in some measure to defend the advancing flower-buds. 



This, where it can be conveniently done, should not now be omitted 

 to the choicer kinds, when required to have them blow in their ut- 

 most perfection j for althougli they are hardy enough, yet, being pro- 

 tected in their early flower-buds from inclement weather, both in this 

 and the next month, the blow will be much finer than if fully ex- 

 posed; however, this care is not necessary for the common kinds, 

 either in beds or borders. 



The early anemones and ranunculuses which were planted in Sep- 

 tember or early in October, and are consequently in a considerable 

 state of forwardness, will still require greater protection than such 

 as were late planted ; for the rudiments of their flowers being in a 

 somewhat advanced state, would be greatly injured if too much ex- 

 posed, especially to the great extremes of our mid-day sun, and the 

 severe night frosts prevalent at this season ; therefore, by protecting 

 them carefully from the rigor of the one, you do not expose them so 

 much to the power of the other ; but when both are suffered to act 

 alternately with their full respective force upon these, as well as upon 

 many other of the more tender kinds of flowers and esculents, a dis- 

 organization of th,eir parts is the immediate consequence, and an un- 



