VII. LIST OF FLOWERS. 



course of years ; therefore, there are no instructions 

 further necessary as to the propagating by offsets. But, 

 as to general cultivation, something must be said. The 

 florists invariably plant them in beds in the manner de- 

 scribed under the head Hyacinth, except that they are 

 not to be planted at any more or less than an inch and a 

 half under ground j but they flourish also either in 

 clumps in the border, or in pots in the green-house. In 

 either of these cases, the soil that the ranunculus likes is 

 a good fresh, strong, rich loamy one; or, if you prepare 

 soil, let it be fresh loam with a manuring of well-rotted 

 horse or cow-dung. The scarlet-turban is the most 

 showy variety, and produces a most brilliant effect in a 

 bed j and, when thus planted, it is well worth the while 

 to take all the precautions necessary to bring forward the 

 plants well through the winter, and to guard their blos- 

 soms against too much wet or sun in the spring. To do 

 this, cover in winter, and shade and water in the spring, 

 as you do in the hyacinth bed. When you plant in pots, 

 take care that the pots be good deep ones ; such as are 

 used commonly for the auricula, drain them well with pot- 

 sherds, but give frequent waterings in dry weather, or, 

 in such small masses, the earth soon burns, and you loose 

 your blossom-buds, if not the plant. About the end of 

 June your plants will be dying down, and then is the 

 time to take them up, cut off the fibres of the roots and 

 pull off the leaf-stalks ; and put away the roots, well 

 freed from dirt. This root and the anemone take no 

 harm from remaining twelve months out of ground. 



515. ROCKET, or dames violet. Lat. Hesperis matro- 

 is. Fr. Julienne cultivee. A biennial plant from Italy 



