542 THE PLEASURE, OR [Oct. 



three, four, or five roots in a place, and covered from three to four 

 inches deep, according to the strength of the roots and lightness of 

 the soil. 



Planting Ranunculuses. 



Ranunculus roots may either be planted before or after winter; 

 if the soil and situation is remarkably cold and wet, it will be better 

 to defer planting till the first opening of spring, but then the ear- 

 liest opportunity of planting them should be embraced. 



In favourable situations, and where due attention can be paid to 

 the protection of the roots from severe frosts, the early part of this 

 month is the most preferable period and should be embraced, as 

 the roots will have more time to vegetate, and form themselves, and 

 will, of consequence, bloom stronger, and earlier, than those planted 

 in spring. 



The ranunculuses are originally natives of a warm climate, 

 where they blow in the winter, or more rainy season of the year: 

 they are of course partial to coolness and moisture, exempt from 

 wet and frost, which the more delicate sorts cannot bear, in any 

 considerable degree, without injury. 



A fresh, strong, rich, loamy soil, is preferable to all others for 

 ranunculuses. 



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 a moderate degree of moisture: at about five inches 

 below the surface should be placed a stratum of two years old rotten 

 cow dung, mixed with earth, six or eight inches thick; but the 

 earth above this stratum where the roots are to be planted, must 

 be free from dung, which Mould prove of more injury than benefit, 

 if too near them. The fibres will draw sufficient nourishment from 

 it at the depth above mentioned; but if the dung was placed deeper 

 it would not receive so much advantage from the action of the air, 

 which is an object of some importance. 



The surface of the bed should be raked perfectly even and flat, 

 and the roots planted in rows at the distance of about five or six 

 inches from one another. It is better to plant in shallow trenches, 

 made nearly two inches deep, than to make holes for the reception 

 of the roots: there should be a little clean sand sprinkled in the 

 trench, and the roots placed with their claws downwards, each dis- 

 tant from the other about three or four inches according to its size 

 and strength: when the roots are thus laid in, fill the trenches up 

 level, with the same earth that was taken out, so as to cover the 

 roots exactly one inch and a half deep, which is the onlv true depth 

 to produce a good bloom: it is pointed out by nature in a singular 

 manner; for when these roots have been planted either too shal- 

 low or too deep, in either case, a second root is generally formed 

 at a proper depth, by which thp plant is weakened to such a degree 

 that it seldom survives a repetition of it. It will be of considerable 

 service to have the bed framed around with boards, or brickwork, 

 a few inches higher than its surface, in front, and rising gradually 



