April'] CHARACTER OF A FINE RANUNCULUS. 87 



ANEMONES AND RANUNCULUS. 



Moist weather and frequent showers are highly essential 

 to the perfecting of these flowers; and if these should fail at 

 this season of the year, artificial means must be used to sup- 

 ply the deficiency. Take a watering-pot without the rose^ 

 and run the water (river or rain water is best) gently between 

 the rows, taking care not to make holes in the ground. 

 When they have got a good watering at root, take the 

 syringe and give them a gentle sprinkling in fine evenings, 

 observing not to use force for fear of breaking the flower 

 stems. In dry weather, the result of a deficiency of water 

 would be, that the stems and flowers of the strongest roots 

 will be weak and make no progress, and many of them will 

 not bloom; the foliage of a sickly, yellow appearance, from 

 which they would not recover; and the roots, when taken 

 up, are of little use for farther transplanting. 



A good plan in dry seasons is to cover the ground between 

 the rows with cow manure, which will prevent the moisture 

 from evaporating; and the rain or water passing through it 

 greatly enriches the soil and strengthens the roots. 



CHARACTER OF A FINE RANUNCULUS. 



" It is indispensable for a good ranunculus to have a stem 

 about eight or twelve inches high, strong enough to support 

 the flower, and quite upright. The form of the flower should 

 be hemispherical, not less than two inches in diameter, con- 

 sisting of numerous petals, gradually diminishing in size to 

 the centre, lying over each other, so as neither to be too 

 close nor too much separated, but having more of a perpen- 

 dicular than a horizontal direction, in order to display the 

 colors with better efi'ect. The petals should be broad, with 

 entire well-rounded edges, their colors dark, clear, rich, or 

 brilliant, either of one color or variously diversified, on a 

 ground of cinerous white, primrose, yellow, or flame color, 

 or diversified with elegant stripes, spots, or mottlings.'' 



