44 OMITTED IN DECEMBER. 



The Anemone seed must be gathered from time to time, as it 

 opens ; for being very downy and light, it will otherwise be blown 

 away by the first breezes of wind, or fall to the ground and be lost. 



It will be found very difficult to sow Anemone seed in a regular 

 jnanner : it is united with, and enveloped in a downy substance, that 

 upon being put together in quantity, adheres in such a manner, as 

 to render it necessary to rub it between the hands for a considerable 

 time, in dry sand, previous to sowing ; otherwise, the young plants 

 would rise in clusters and not have space enough to form their 

 roots. 



When you are ready to sow your Ranunculus seed, take it out of 

 the bag, and if the weather be damp, spread it thin upon a sheet of 

 paper, before a moderate fire, till it is just warm, and no more ; then 

 rub it out and clean it perfectly from any pieces of the stalk, dried 

 petals of the flower, or other extraneous matter, which if sown 

 with it, would create a mouldiness of very destructive consequence. 



The last ten days of December, any time in January, or even the 

 first week of February, the seeds may be sown, but when convenient, 

 the early sowing is preferable. Each kind should be sown separately 

 in shallow frames (of either one, two, or three lights, according to 

 the quantity) provided with glasses, similar to those made use of 

 for cucumbers and melons ; the soil should be taken out at least 

 two feet deep, and replaced with good and suitable soil, such as 

 is directed in page 532 ; out of which the earth worms should be 

 carefully picked, for these are extremely destructive to the young 

 plan" , which they draw from a considerable distance into their 

 holes for nutriment. 



When the pit is filled, so as to reach about six inches up the 

 sides and ends of the frame, it should be suffered to remain a few 

 days to settle ; then the surface should be made perfectly smooth 

 and even, and the seed sown upon it with the utmost regularity, 

 in such quantity as nearly to cover it, for accidents will befall many 

 of them ; the glasses should be placed on immediately, and the 

 frame kept closely covered with them, for two or three days till 

 the seeds begin to swell, observing to cover the glasses effectually 

 at night and in severe weather to keep out the frost, and also line 

 the outside of the frame all round to its full height, with tan, leaves, 

 or horse-dung, for a similar purpose : a little light earth, should 

 then be sifted over the seed, through a fine sieve, but not sufficient 

 to cover it, this should be repeated once or twice a week till the 

 greater part of the seed disappears. It is proper to remark in this 

 place, that such seed as happen to be covered deeper than the 

 thickness of a dollar, will never vegetate, and must of course inevi- 

 tably perish. . 



MR. MILLER, in his Gardener's Dictionary, recommends the 

 covering of Anemone and Ranunculus seeds, about a quarter of an 

 inch deep; he is followed by MAW and ABERCROMBIE, as well as 

 several other writers ; and although these authorities are very 

 respectable, yet with me, it is very questionable, that either of them, 

 ever raised an Anemone or Ranunculus in their lives, from seec$ 

 covered to that depth, but more particularly the latter. 



