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No. XLIII. Upon a method of obtaining late Flowers of 

 Ranunculuses. In a Letter to the Secretary. By Mr. 

 Henry Groom, F. H. S. 



Read September 16, 1828. 



Sir, 



In compliance with your wish, I have sent a few remarks 

 relative to the culture of Ranunculuses for a late bloom. 



The bed is prepared the same as for spring planting, with 

 the exception of being quite level with the path ; this I find 

 necessary to preserve the fibres moist. In planting instead of 

 cutting out drills, and placing the roots at the bottom, I pre- 

 fer having the surface of the bed sufficiently fine to allow me to 

 dibble them in ; I afterwards fill the holes by covering the bed 

 with a small portion of fine mould, which with the depth the 

 roots are planted, places them about one inch below the sur- 

 face. As soon as the bed is thus finished it should be well 

 watered ; I use lime water at this time, to prevent the worms 

 drawing the roots from their places. The bed must afterwards 

 be kept well watered with clear cow-dung water (I do not like 

 horse-dung for Ranunculuses,) until the foliage makes its ap- 

 pearance ; I then have the iron rods used for the Tulip bed 

 put over the bed, and keep it well shaded, never allowing the 

 direct rays of the sun to come to it from nine in the morning 

 till five or six in the evening, as I find that during the 

 summer the sun acts too powerfully on the soil for Ranun- 

 culuses. It appears to me that when the sun is permitted to 

 come full on the bed, the earth is so much heated that the 



