266 FLOWER GARDEN. 



hemispherical form ; its component petals imbricated^ 

 neither too closely nor too much separated, and having 

 rather a perpendicular than a horizontal direction. The- 

 petals should be broad, and have perfectly entire well- 

 rounded edges ; their colors should be dark, clear, rich, or 

 brilliant, either consisting of one color throughout, or be 

 otherwise variously diversified on an ash, white, sulphur, 

 or fire-colored ground, or regularly striped, spotted, or mot- 

 tled, in an elegant manner. 



The ranunculus requires a stronger and moister soil than 

 most other flowers. Maddock prefers a fresh, strong, rich 

 loam. Hogg recommends a fresh loam, with a considerable 

 portion of rotted cow or horse-dung. 



The Rev. Mr. Williamson (Hort. Trans. r vol. iv.) uses 

 a stiff clay loam, with a fourth of rotton dung. " The 

 bed should be dug from eighteen inches to two feet deep, 

 and not raised more than four inches above the level of the 

 walks, to preserve the moisture more effectually : at about 

 five inches below the surface should be placed a stratum of 

 two-year-old rotten cow-dung, mixed with earth, six or 

 eight inches thick ; but the earth above this stratum, where 

 the roots are to be placed, should be perfectly free from 

 dung, which would prove injurious if nearer. The fibres 

 will draw sufficient nourishment at the depth above men- 

 tioned ; but if the dung were placed deeper, it would not 

 receive so much advantage from the action of the air." 

 Other florists have recommended to put the manure at 

 least two feet and a half below the surface of the earth. 

 The principal object, however, is to maintain throughout 

 the bed a genial moisture ,* and this is to be done by avoid- 

 ing all hot gravelly earths, and particularly soils that are 

 apt to cake. The tubers are planted late in autumn, or 

 early in spring, in rows five or six inches apart, and three 



