318 General Notices. 



leave to take but one, the flower that gives a smile to the cotter's fireside, 

 when the cares and toils of day are over, would be mine. 



But to return again to Flora's garland. How just the remark, what so 

 graceful as the fuchsia, or so gay as the geranium ? nay, what so chaste as 

 the auricular, or what so lovely as the rose ? and most of all magnificent, 

 the dahlia ? Qualities and names have been assigned to others, as sweet- 

 ness and humility to the violet ; whilst the title of Queen of the Garden 

 has been justly given to the tulip. But what, shall we ask, has been re- 

 served for the subject of this paper, that cannot with equal propriety be 

 assigned to any other ? — most certainly symmetry. The ranunculus, for 

 symmetry, truly surpasses every other flower, and, doubtless, gives us the 

 true idea of form in every double flower. 



Now, if, after I and many of my neighbors had given up growing the 

 ranunculus for some years, in consequence of repeated failures, I give a 

 description of a small plot and the treatment of them, and some of your 

 readers should be induced to give them a second trial, and »ucceed, aa I 

 have done, I am sure they will be highly gratified. 



Before doing this, I may here say that the ranunculus, anemone, and iris, 

 were grown by me, with considerable success, more than thirty years ago. 

 Those being the favorites of my youth, great care I took of them, and often 

 were they admired, and I dare say justly so, but never had I anything like, 

 nor ever have I seen anything like the batch I wish to describe to you, giv- 

 ing you the treatment, which I consider the entire cause of their uncommon 

 vigor and beauty. 



Last autumn, writing to my friend, Mr. Lightbody, on business matters, 

 he ofiTered me some of his fine ranunculuses. I said to him that myself, 

 with many other persons, had given them up entirely, it being so difficult 

 to get a fine bloom. In his reply, he said that he would make it a very easy 

 thing, if I would attend to the following directions, which were very simple 

 and very kindly given. Those directions being quite free from any perplex- 

 ing nostrums, I at once agreed that he should socd me a few of the very 

 best he had. Those I soon received, forty in number, according to his cat- 

 alogue price, amounted to nearly eight pounds. 



But what were the accompanying directions ? As near as I can recollect, 

 they were these: "The ranunculus must have something to live upon. In 

 the autumn, I throw out a trench, from one foot to eighteen inches, accord- 

 ing to the depth of the soil, putting at the bottom some well rotted cow 

 dung or old hot-bed manure, filling it up again with the same soil. In the 

 month of February rake it very fine, plant exactly an inch and a half deep, 

 destroy all weeds and vermin, press the soil firmly about the necks of the 

 plants, and I have no doubt you will have what will gratify you. One of 

 the most important things to be attended to is not to let the roots remain in 

 the ground after the foliage has changed in color. If you want any other 

 information, I shall be most happy to give you it." Being then in possession 

 of those valuables, I thought I must once more try my skill : I therefore 

 made choice of a bed two yards from a south wall, throwing out the soil as 

 directed, and collecting a few baskets of well-seasoned dung from a cow 



