186 Transactions of the Prussian 



them tne command of a less quantity of the necessaries of life, 

 and consequently, that they are much inferior in ability to 

 support their families to their ancestors three or four centuries 

 ago, and to what they were at the commencement of the 

 reign of George III. 



In our next paper we shall endeavour to prove our other 

 positions i-especting their condition ; — that they obtain a less 

 proportion of the produce of their labour ; — that they are 

 worse off, compared with manfacturing labourers, than they were 

 formerly : — and that, while rents, and the value of land, have 

 been increasing, and the country and all other classes improv- 

 ing, their condition has been retrograding 

 {To be continued.) 



Art. V. Verhandlungen des Vereins zur Beforderung des 

 Gartenbaues, Sec. ; Transactions of the Society for the Promotion 

 of Gardening in Prussia. Berlin 1824. Parts 1. and 2. 4to. 



The Prussian Horticultural Society, was established in 1822, 

 in consequence of an order from the king ; their first public 

 meeting was in December that year ; and at their third 

 sitting, in March 1823, some papers were read. From that 

 time to August 1824, they found matter enough to publish 

 sixty articles, on a great variety of subjects, the authors of 

 which are partly royal and commercial gardeners, and partly 

 amateurs. We pass over several introductory papers ex- 

 planatory of the origin of this society, to 



No. 10. Observations on forcing the Turkish Ranunculus. By 

 Mr. P. F. Bouche, Commercial Gardener at Berlin. ■ 



To grow the ranunculus well in Prussia, it is planted on a 

 slight hot-bed in autumn, and protected through the winter by 

 a frame ; the sashes of which are removed when the plants are 

 in flower. To force the ranunculus, tubers which have been kept 

 three or four months, or even a year over the season of plant- 

 ing, are chosen, as being more easily excited than those which 

 have been only the usual time out of the soil. They are 

 planted in pots, about the beginning of August; and by 

 bringing these into the green-house at different periods, a 

 bloom is kept up from October to February. 



11. On the Culture of the Torch-Thistle. By Mr. P. F. Bouche, 

 Commercial Gardener in Berlin. 



There is scarcely any thing in this paper that is not 

 familiar to the English gardener. Cactus hexagonus and tetra- 



