134 THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



scarlet •, Mary Anderson, soft pink : Princess Marie, 

 pure white ; Hamlet, rose purple ; and Merry Hampton, 

 crimson. Double: Primrose; Lord Rosebery, carmine, 

 very bright; Aphrodite, pure white; Carl Vogt, also 

 snow white ; Leonard Kelway, rich rose ; Melton, deep 

 crimson; Meteor, crimson, white tips to the florets; 

 Pericles, of a pinkish shade and gold in the centre ; 

 Wega. pink and yellow; Mont Blmc, while; Niveum 

 plenum, quilled florets, very chaste ; and the older 

 double white and lose, known respectively as Album 

 plenum and Roseum. 



The Feverfew is a Pyrethrum (P. Parthenium), also 

 known as Golden Ferther. It is used largely in bedding, 

 but good gardeners care little for it. At any rale, it is a 

 mistake to use the plant loo freely, otherwise the yellow 

 leaves have a sickly, uninteresting look. The way lo 

 raise plants is to sow seed in February, treating the 

 plant as a half-haidy annual. It is very easily raised, and 

 grows freely out of doors. All flowers must be kept 

 picked off, as the plant is grown simply for edgings an 1 

 for its \ ellow leaves. 

 Ranunculus, The. — The Ranunculus family is a large 

 one, comprising about 160 species of mostly perennial 

 plants, many ol which, such as the common Buttercup, 

 are unfitted for garden culture. The following are the 

 best known : 



R. aeonitif'olillS, with branched stems 2l~t. in height, 

 bearing white flowers in May ami [line. It enjo\s a 

 cool, moist position. There is a double-flowered variety 

 of this plant that is known under the name of Fair 

 Maids of France, and is decidedly ornamental. 



R. acris is the commr'j Buttercup. There is also a 

 double form of this. 



R. alpestris, bom the Pyrenees, bears large white 

 (lowers on stalks from 3in. lo bin. high in fu'v. It is 

 a handsome species, and succeeds in light, porous soil in 

 semi-shaded positions of the rock gaiden. 



R. amplexieailliS, from the Weste n Alps, hears pure 

 white cups, some 2in. in diameter, on stems 6in. to o,in. 

 high during April and May. It is easily raised from 

 seed, which is Ireely produced. 



R. anemonoides, from the Styrian Alps, is a dwarf 

 plant about 6in. in height, bearing large flowers, pink on 

 the outer s des of the petals and greenish while within. 

 Ii blooms in April, the flowers often appearing before 

 l lie leaves. It is a roe plant, and succeeds best under 

 ihe system of culture recommended for R. alpcslris. 



R. aquatiilS {Lodewort). — A British plant, bearing white 

 flowers from May till August. There are many forms 

 d! this plant, distinguished from one another by varietal 

 names. 



R. asiatiCUS, a native of the Levant. This, in its 

 double forms, is the common Ranunculus of our gardens, 

 and comprises tie varied sections known unJer ihe 

 names of Dutch, Scotch, Persian, and Turkish Ranunculi. 

 If the best results are to be attained a considerable 

 amount of trouble should be taken in the formation of 

 the beds, which should be well drained, for these Ranun- 

 culi are very impatient of stagnant moisture, and 

 filled up with a porous compost of loam and leaf-mould, 

 to which a liberal addition of well-decayed cow manure 

 has been added. Road grit should also be mixed wilh 

 ihe compost, and the bed prepared by ihe end of the 

 year, the tubers being planted in Februarv at a depth 

 ol I.', in. and pressed well into the sod This Ranun- 

 culus, though disliking stagnant moisture, will not 

 succeed if it is allowed to become dry at the roots, and 

 beneli s greaily by copious waterings during rainless 

 weaiher when planted in porous soil such as advocated. 

 A mulch of cocoa-nut fibre or leaf-mould wid be found 

 useful in keeping the surface of the soil in an equable 

 and moist condition. When the leaves turn yellow the 

 tubers should he lifted, dried, and stored in drawers or 

 paper bags where no moistute can aflect them until the 

 planting season again returns. The Persian varieties 

 bear ihe most symmetrical flowers, but ihe so-called 

 Turban section are of stronger constitution, and produce 

 somewhat larger if coarser blooms. There are many 



varieties of the several sections, which will be found 



enumerated in bulb cala'ogues. Though seldom seen in 



gardens, the crimson-flowered tvpe with its large single 



blossoms is very effective. 

 R. bilobllS, from the Apennines, is somewhat similar in 



appearance to R. alpestris. It bears white flowers, and 



blooms in May and fune. 

 R. blllboSUS is the common field Buttercup, bearing 



yellow flowers in the spring. 

 R. CardiophyllllS, a native of North America, grow s to a 



height of lit. and bears large golden vellow flowers in 



May. 



R. CaSSUbicuS, from Eastern Europe, a dwarf grower, 



bears yellow flowers in June and Julv. 

 R. CaueasieilS, from the Caucasus, produces large 



yellow flowers on stems 4m. to 6in. high. 

 R. eha^rophyllUS, from ihe shores of the Mediterranean, 



bears yellow flowers on short, downy stems in April 



and May. This spec es possesses very finely-cut 



folia e. 



R. eortUSSefoliUS, from Teneriff'e, grows to a height of 

 bom lit. to i.lft. It bears corymbs of large brilliant 

 yellow flowers in May. In its native habitat it flourishes 

 in the stoniest situations, and in the South of England, 

 where it may occupy a permanent position in the open, 

 it should be allotted the sunniest spot available and 

 grown in porous sod. 



R. CretanUS, from Stvria, bears large while flowers on 

 stems 3 1 n . to 4in. high in April and May. Culture 

 similar to that of R. alpestris. 



R. cretiCUS, from Ciete, grows 121'n. high, and produces 

 large golden flowers in April and May. 



R. Ficaria {the Lesser Celandine) is a well-known British 



R. Flammilla {the Lesser Spear a art) is likewise common 

 in England. 



R. g'lacialis, from the Alps and Pyrenees, is found close 

 to the melting snow on the loftiest heights, and bears 

 flowers at hirst pink, and then changing to coppery red, 

 on stems 3m. to 6in. in length. Its leaves are thick 

 and fleshy, and of a deep green in colour. The culture 

 of this plant is attended with some difficulty, as the. 

 conditions which obtain in its home among the glaciers 

 cannot readily be reproduced in our gardens. It is most 

 important that the position occupied should be an 

 exposed corner where the plant may obtain the lull 

 benefit of the sun's ravs from daybreak to nightfall. 

 The spot should have ample drainage, and the soil 

 should be porous and giitty. When growth commences 

 water should be given, gradually increasing the supply, 

 so that at the flowering time the plant may always be 

 surrounded with a moist atmosphere. During winter 

 ihe plant shou'd be kept as dry as possible. 



R. gramineilS, from S mthein Europe, has grass-like 

 leaves, and bears yellow flowers on stems ift. in height 

 during May. A position in the full sun and light soil are 

 advisable. 



R. Lingua {the Greater Spearwart), a semi-aquatic British 

 plant, b.-ars golden yellow flowers 2in. acioss on stems 

 from 2ft. to 3ft. high. This is one of the most beautiful 

 of all water side plants, but little seen in English 

 gardens. 



R. Lyalli, from New Zealand, bears Iar:e white flowers 

 4111. in diameter on branched stems 3ft. to 4b. high. 

 In its native habitat it grows in peat c'ose to the water, 

 and I ecomes thoroughly fio/en during the winter, \> bile 

 in the summer it experiences a high temperature. It is 

 an extremely handsome plant, but unsuited to outdoor 

 cultivation in this country. 



R. millefoliatUS, from Southern Europe, grows to a 

 height of bin., and bears yellow flowers in June. If 

 given a very sunny and dry position it may be grown in 

 ti e rock garden. 



R. mOnspeliaCUS, from the Mediterranean shores, bears 

 yellow flowers, on stems ijft. high, in Apiil and May. 



R. montanilS, an European species, bears yellow flowers, 

 rather larger than those of the common Buttercup, on 

 stems Gin. long, during June and July. 



