Dec] flower-garden. \ 585 
planted and managed as in pages 541 and 542; observing that they 
(being small) may be planted somewhat closer than the large roots, 
and will not require to be covered quite so deep. 
The ensuing season several of the largest roots will flower, 
especially the Ranunculuses, and all of them the third year; at 
which time, you should carefully mark such as are worthy of being 
preserved, the others may be planted in small clumps in the warm 
borders of the garden and pleasure-grounds, there to take chance. 
The valuable kinds must be subsequently increased by offsets. 
Those who desire to raise these plants upon a small scale, may 
sow the seeds in boxes, large pots, or garden pans, of good compost, 
observing, to have the bottoms of the boxes, previous to their being 
filled, bored Avith several augur holes, which are to be covered with 
shells, .or the like, to suffer any extra moisture to pass away freely. 
But the former method is much more preferable. 
Sowing Auricula, Polyanthus, and Cyclamen seeds. 
The surest and best method to obtain fine Auriculas from seed, 
is as follows. In the first place the seed should be saved from 
young, healthy, strong plants, of capital high-coloured sorts, pos- 
sessing the first rate properties: these on the approach of bloom, 
should be detached from the rest, to some distant part of the garden, 
for fear of the farina of indifferent sorts contaminating ihem, and 
there exposed to the full air, the sun (except when too violent) 
and moderate rains; from an excess of which, the plants are to be 
protected by mats laid on hoops, or by small hand glasses. In dry 
weather these plants must be regularly watered, as often as they 
appear to require it: much depends on a due attention to this par- 
ticular point. 
The seed will commonly ripen in June; it is adviseable frequently 
to visit the plants at that season, and carefully to gather such pods 
or heads of seed as appear perfectly dry, brown, and begin to open; 
if all the pods on the same stem are ripe together they may be cut 
off with part of the stem to which they are connected; but if some 
of the pods are not sufficiently ripe, such as are, should be carefully 
picked from the rest as they become so. The seed, thus collected, 
should remain in the pericarpiums or seed vessels, in a dry room, 
till the season of sowing. 
In the last week of December, any time in January, or in the 
early part of February, the seed may be sown with every prospect 
of success, provided you have the necessary conveniencies. The 
early sown seeds, if well managed^ will vegetate better, and the 
plants raise more numerously than the late; besides, it will be 
of serious importance, to give the plants the advantage of a long 
spring vegetation, that they may be as strong as possible, before the 
summer heat sets in, which to seedling Auriculas and Polyanthuses 
is very destructive, and even to the full grown plants: but if there 
is not a suitable convenience, and an opportunity of paying 
the necessary, attention, it will be better to defer the sowing till 
February. 
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