380 On the Cultivation of the Ranunculus and Anemone. 



of the stamina into petals ; this is effected entirely by skil- 

 ful culture, and such are generally the fullest and most beau- 

 tiful flowers ; as the colours of the petals thus formed will 

 always be the same as the stamina, which are frequently of 

 a different colour from the proper petals. Those beautiful 

 Anemones with rows of petals of different colours, which 

 have lately been imported from Holland, have been pro- 

 duced in this manner ; they are however liable to return to 

 their original state, without great skill and attention. 



The method of increase by offsets is well known, and is 

 chiefly resorted to in perpetuating varieties of known ex- 

 cellence. 



There is another way of increasing these plants, which is 

 not so generally known; that is, by cutting the root into 

 parts. This is chiefly used to preserve any particular variety 

 raised from seed, and of which only that root is in existence. 

 In minutely examining the crown of a Ranunculus several 

 small protuberances will be found; from each of which a 

 shoot will arise, and the root may therefore be divided by a 

 sharp knife into as many parts as there are protuberances, 

 and thus the danger of losing the variety is much diminished. 

 These cuttings will not shew any blossom in the first year, but 

 a perfect root will be obtained from every cutting, and these 

 will blow in the following year. 



I will only now add an account of my endeavours to ob- 

 tain double flowering roots of the Anemone, and some expe- 

 riments made to ascertain the best time of planting the roots. 



Being fully convinced that new double varieties of the 

 Anemone might be successfully raised in this country, I en- 

 deavoured to procure some semidouble flowering roots, but 



