CULTURE OF THE RANUNCULUS. 
17-3 
placed in the compartments which are either numbered and placed on 
a list, or the names themselves are pasted in each compartment. 
When all are taken up, the trays are placed in a stand in an airy 
chamber, but not exposed to the sun. At a leisure time the offsets 
may be separated, and the roots selected for the following year. (See 
Vol 1, p. 296. 11. If it is desired to obtain flowers late in the sea¬ 
son, let the bed on which they are planted be raised no higher than 
the surrounding surface, by this means it will retain more moisture ; 
plant the roots in the usual way, and give the bed a good watering 
with lime water to destroy the worms. Afterwards keep the bed 
well watered with a thin solution of cow-dung and water, until the 
leaves appear. After they have come up, it is necessary to constantly 
shade, from ten o’clock in the morning to four or five o’clock in the 
afternoon, in sunny days; and this must be continued until they 
have done flowering. 12. To obtain early Ranunculuses, plant in a 
frame in September, and they will come into flower in January or 
February. Select roots for this purpose which have been kept out 
of the ground the previous season of planting, if this is convenient; 
as they will grow much quicker than those which have been taken up 
the previous summer. Some may also be planted in pots in the be¬ 
ginning of August; and if they be brought into the greenhouse at 
different times, a bloom may be kept up from October to February. 
13. For a bloom the whole year, begin to plant in February ; and 
plant every fortnight. For a bloom in May plant in February ; for 
a bloom in July plant in April; for a bloom in September plant in 
June; and for a bloom in October, plant about the middle of July. 
After this commence planting in frames for winter flowering. 14. 
To raise good varieties from seed, see Vol. 1, page 264. 
Mr. Sweet recommends that the yellow be fertilized by black, the 
scarlet or crimson with white or yellow, and all the most distant in¬ 
termixtures. 15. Sow the seed at the latter end of October, or very 
early in February. Either boxes or pans will answer the purpose ; 
give them plenty of drainage, by laying a quantity of broken pot¬ 
sherds at the bottom, till the boxes or pans with light loam ; sow the 
seeds thin, and cover them as lightly as possible; water them with a 
very fine rose watering-pot, and place them in a cold frame or pit. 
The plants will be up in about a month or six weeks. They must 
then receive air night and day, if the weather will permit. They 
must, however, be carefully preserved from frost. Top dress them 
with a little fresh soil about the end of February, or beginning of 
March, taking away a portion of the old soil. About the middle of 
May, plunge the boxes or pots in the open ground, and water them 
