180 PLANTING BULBS. [NOV 



to dig in some very rotten dung, or an addi- 

 tional quantity of decayed leaves; though, in 

 general, it is best not to add much manure ; the 

 - flower borders are not to be raked after this 

 digging, but left rough all the winter, that the 

 frosts may break the ground and make it crum- 

 ble. 



The tulips and ranunculus roots should be 

 planted about the middle of the month: the 

 hyacinths, I presume, were put in the ground 

 in October. The London tulip fanciers usually 

 plant their bulbs on or about the Lord Mayor's 

 day. You will say this is rather a cockney time 

 to fix on. Remember to protect them as well 

 as the anemonies, hyacinths, and ranunculuses, 

 from heavy rains, as well as from frosts ; espe- 

 cially from frosts coming after much rain, when 

 the roots are much saturated with wet. Should 

 the winter be very severe, you must put a little 

 straw over them 



