SECT. XVIII. 



OF FLOWERS. 



28. 



fharp froft. They may be prote&ed from wet by 

 mats, and from froft by peas haulm, or wheat ftraw. 



Offsets of hulbs, ind weak tubers, muft be planted 

 a month before the full-fized roots ; and as they are not 

 expe&ed to flower the firft year, fho'ild be di'pofed of 

 in nurfery beds, (rather clofej where they may grow 

 a year, or two, according to their ftre«gth, as fome 

 will be this rime, or longer, before thev flower. Thofe 

 taken from Jcaly bulbs, will not endure to be out of 

 ground, and mull: therefore be planted almoft immedi- 

 ately. Bulbs t iken up out of J e of on, i. e. when they 

 have remained fo long in the ground as to have ftruek 

 out frefh roots, mould be removed with balls of earth, 

 for though they may live without this care, they will 

 be exceeding weak ; it is therefore neceffary exactly to 

 obferve the proper feafon for removal. 



The foil that bell funs' bulbous and tuberous roots in 

 general, is a fandy loam ; but moft of the forts are not 

 very nice. The ground for them mould however be 

 well dug, even two fpa^es deep, that their fibres may 

 (hoot freely, and wet be completely drained from them, 

 w r hen much of it falls. This work mould be done a 

 week before planting, that the ground may fettle. In 

 a light foil, roots of the ranunculus have been found to 

 ftrike a yard deep, w T hich may admonilh, that in a clay 

 bottom, it is proper to lay a body of (tones there, (ftfp* 

 pofe at eighteen inches) that too much moifture may 

 not be detained to ficken the roots. 



The depth at which bulbs lhould be planted, mull be 

 according to their fize, three or four inches deep, from 

 their top. Tubers alfo according to their fize ; ane- 

 mones and ranunculufes at two, or two and a half 

 inches, &c. Some bulbs will come up even when a 

 foot below the ground, as crown Imperials, and crocufes 9 

 at fix inches, or more ; fome perfons, therefore, plant 

 them deeper than the above rule, in order to be able to 

 ftir the furface of the ground without damaging them, 

 but-it is not advifable. - 

 f'-^.-u - < r, * .. -The 



