Dec] flower GARDEN. 585 
When you are ready to sow your ranunculus seed, take it out of 
the bag, and if the weather be damp, spread it thin upon a sheet of 
paper, before a moderate fire, till it is just warm, and no more; 
then rub it out and clean it perfectly from any pieces of the stalk, 
dried petals of the flower or other extraneous matter, which, if 
sown with it, would create a mouldiness of very destructive con- 
sequence. 
The last ten days of December, any time in January, or even the 
first week of February, the seeds may be sown, but when conve- 
nient, the early sowing is preferable. Each kind should be sown 
separately in shallow frames (of either one, two or three lights, 
according to the quantity) provided with glasses, similar to those 
made use of for cucumbers and melons; the soil should be taken 
out at least two feet deep, and replaced with good and suitable 
soil, such as is directed in page 542; out of which the earth-worms 
should be carefully picked, for these are extremely destructive to 
the young plant, which they draw from a considerable distance 
into their holes for nutriment. 
When the pit is filled, so as to reach about six inches up the 
sides and ends of the frame, it should be suffered to remain a few 
days to settle; then the surface should be made perfectly smooth 
and even, and the seed sown upon it with the utmost regularity, 
in such quantity as nearly to cover it, for accidents will befall 
many of them; the glasses should be placed on immediately, and 
the frame kept closely covered with them for two or three days, till 
the seeds begin to swell, observing to cover the glasses effectually 
at night and in severe weather, to keep out the frost, and also line 
the outside of the frame all around to its full height with tan, leaves, 
or horse-dung, for a similar purpose: a little light earth should 
then be sifted over the seed through a fine sieve, but not sufiicient 
to cover it, this should be repeated once or twice a week till the 
greater part of the seed disappears. It is proper to remark in this 
place that such seed as happens to be covered deeper than the 
thickness of a dollar will never vegetate, and must of course inevi- 
tably perish. 
Mr. Millar, in his Gardener's Dictionary, recommends the cover- 
ing of anemone and ranunculus seeds about a quarter of an inch 
deep; he is followed by Maw and Abercrombie, as well as several 
other writers; and although these authorities are very respectable, 
yet with me it is very questionable that either of them ever raised 
an anemone or ranunculus in their lives from seed covered to that 
depth, but more particularly the latter. 
It is necessary to keep the seed moderately moist by gentle 
occasional waterings with soft water that has been exposed to the 
sun or to fire heat till the cold chill is off; this should be given 
from the rose of a small watering pot, which rose should be of a 
hemispherical form, and perforated with very small holes that will 
discharge fine streams of water in a very distinct and regular man- 
ner; this should be made of copper, it being less liable to corrode 
than iron. 
But although it is necessary to the vegetation of the seed that it 
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