376 On the Cultivation of the Ranunculus and Anemone. 



depth, having a brick earth for the subsoil. The ground is 

 roughly dug in October, but not deep ; so that the lower 

 part of the soil is not moved at all ; the fibres of the roots, 

 when planted, soon penetrate this compact soil, and draw 

 moisture from it, and consequently flourish, whatever may 

 be the state of the upper part of the bed. I frequently plant 

 the roots in the same place for several years successively ; 

 the soil then, of course, requires manure, and should be dug 

 deeper, but as early as possible, that it may become close 

 and firm before the roots are planted, and also that the ma- 

 nure may be more perfectly blended with the mould. 



It has been remarked, that we seldom have a second frost 

 of much intensity or duration ; it has therefore been my 

 usual practice to plant the roots immediately after the first 

 severe frost; at all events, I never delay the planting after 

 the 10th of February. Before the leaves appear, I usually 

 move the surface of the ground, if practicable, with a Dutch 

 hoe ; both to destroy the weeds, and also to make the sur- 

 face light and porous, for it is found by experience, that 

 those plants flourish best, when the upper part of the soil is 

 continually moved, and after they do appear, a small hand- 

 hoe applied between the rows is found extremely beneficial. 



The injury which the roots of the Ranunculus and Anemone 

 are liable to sustain by frost, is not, I conceive, very great : 

 I have proved by several experiments, that they will bear a 

 great degree of cold, provided the soil is not naturally wet. 

 The whole of mine, amounting to many thousands, were 

 last spring unexpectedly exposed to a severe frost, the ther- 

 mometer standing at 11° below the freezing point, and I am 

 not aware that any of them perished. It should however be 



