26o The Gardener's New Director. 



of the beds ; and alfo to keep them clear from weeds ; 

 and in fpring to go over the beds with your hand, in 

 order to preferve the fpring-buds of thofe flowers. The 

 befl: time for Hfting thofe forts of flower-roots, is, im- 

 mediately after their leaves are decayed, and their feeds 

 are ripened, which is commonly about the beginning of 

 July, when you may replant them as formerly, into beds 

 ot good light undunged earth, feparating their ofF-fets, 

 and planting them and the mother roots fingly, about 

 the beginning of Augujii as they are not to be kept long 

 out of the ground ; the Dens cam's at two inches dif- 

 tance, and the Fritillaries at four, root from root. 



The method I followed to propagate them by feed was 

 as follows : in a fortnight after the feed of the Fritilla- 

 ries were ripe, I provided boxes of two feet in breadth, 

 three and an half in length, and ten inches deep, which, 

 after making holes in their bottoms, and covering the 

 fame with oyflcr-fliells, to let the water pafs off, I filled 

 them to the depth of fix inches with the following com- 

 pofl:, I'/'z. one third of the oldefl: and moft rotten tan- 

 bark, one third of the pureft white fand, and one third 

 of a good pafture-foil, which had lain by for twelve 

 months, with its upper fward well rotted in it ; thefe 

 I tofled up in a heap, afterwards fcreening it, but not 

 too fine. The reafon of laying no greater depth of 

 compofl: in the boxes, is, that the boxes might be cover- 

 ed in bad weather, without injuring the leaves of the 

 young plants. 



Thefe plants came up the March after they were 

 fown, when I had a fine appearance, as few of the feeds 

 miffed ; in winter I placed them where they enjoyed the 

 full fun, but removed them in the middle of the fol- 

 lowing March, to where they had the rays of the 

 fun until elevert in the forenoon only. During the in- 

 clemency of the winter, I placed them under a fouth- 

 afpeQ:ed wall, and in frofly evenings covered them with 

 wooden covers; and in the extreme feafon of the year, 

 I laid fome of the oldefl: and befl rotted tan-bark two 

 inches deep on the furface of the boxes, and the latter 

 end of February I took it off with my hand. When they 

 were brought into a more fliaSy fituation, I drefltd the 

 mould J and cleared it of a mofly topping it had collefl- 



ed 



