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THE FLOWEB GAJBDEK. 



preservation more difficult. Lay them in an airy shady 

 shed, and clean and separate the offsets at once. The 

 finest of these will bloom well, and may be planted 

 together with the full-grown tubers. The lesser offsets 

 had better spend a season in a preparatory bed, to gain 

 their adult strength. The roots may be kept in airy bags, 

 or boxes, till the return of the planting season. The 

 vitality of Ranunculus roots is tenacious ; they have been 

 kept out of the ground two, three, and even more years, 

 without perishing. It is needless to observe that such 

 accidents should be avoided, unless purposely tried for 

 the sake of experiment. Offsets are the usual means of 

 multiplication ; the tuber also may be divided, when it 

 has more than one eye ; but it is a nice operation, with 

 so small a root. Varieties may be infinitely multiplied 

 from seed ; for it is asserted that the seed of the ranun- 

 culus in no instance ever produces two flowers alike, or 

 the same as those of the parent plant. Semi-double 

 flowers will give seed ; of course the handsomest will be 

 selected. When the stems are ripe, they are cut. and 

 hung up in paper bags for a fortnight or a month, to dry. 

 Some sow immediately ; but new seed does not rise so 

 well as that a year old. In the open ground, spring is 

 the time for sowing ; but in boxes, or under frames, many 

 prefer the end of summer. Sow on light, rich, well- 

 sifted soil, and cover with another very slight coating of 

 earth gently dusted from the sieve. Some lay a stratum 

 of moss over all, till the seeds begin to germinate. Light 

 waterings, moderate exposure to sunshine and air, weed- 

 ings, and protection from insect vermin, will follow. The 

 seeds are from thirty to fifty days in coming up, accord- 

 ing to the temperature. First year's seedlings may be 

 taken up and replanted in fresh soil. They will show 

 bloom from their second to their third year. 



Gardeners have taken advantage of the tenacity of life 

 in Eanunculus roots, to obtain blooms from them nearly 

 all the year round. In the open ground, they may be 

 planted every month, from the middle of September to 

 August inclusively. In September and October, they 



