96 
CULTURE OF THE ANEMONE. 
Never allow the roots to remain in the ground after the herbage is 
dead. It continues in growth much longer after flowering than the 
ranunculus, which no doubt arises from the more succulent nature of 
the roots. 
If the weather be wet, after the plants have done flowering, still 
allow the covering to remain over the bed, to prevent the roots from 
absorbing too much moisture: or the foliage will not die down at the 
usual time, nor do the roots attempt to ripen, but often strike roots 
again, and thus become much weakened: 
If it is necessary to shelter the.beds from excessive rains, yet the 
plants must have as much sunshine as can be given them, or the roots 
will not be fine and plump. 
When the roots are taken up, cut off their dead stems nearly close 
to the root; spread them in a shady, hut airy room, to dry gradually, 
and frequently turn them ; or they are liable to mould. 
When they are about half dry, clean and separate the dirt from 
them. This must be done with great care, as they are very brittle, 
much more so than ranunculuses; and should any pieces be broken off 
in the operation, these must be preserved and planted by themselves ; 
for they will all make flowering plants, if they possess eyes, which 
will very probably be the case. 
In about a month after the roots are taken up, separate the offsets 
from them ; this is a far better time than either at the time of clean¬ 
ing or planting: for in the first case the smaller offsets, by being 
separated so early, become very shrivelled, and the larger ones lose 
their plumpness; and if separated at the time of planting, the wounds 
of neither the parent root, nor the offsets, have time to heal, and the 
roots are, therefore, liable to perish in the ground. 
When dry, put them in bags or boxes, exactly as recommended for 
ranunculuses, Vol.3, page 174. 
Propagation by Seeds .—Select well formed and brilliant coloured 
single or semidouble flowers from which to collect the seed. The 
greater part of the plants grown from seeds, will of course prove single, 
but a few very good ones may be expected. 
Gather the seed every day as it ripens, and when a quantity is 
gathered, sow it immediately. This may be done either on a bed, 
or in pans and boxes ; if in either of the latter, give a good drainage, 
and let the soil be a mixture of light loam and leaf mould. 
The downy substance with which Anemone seed is enveloped, ren¬ 
ders it difficult to be sown in a regular manner. To remedy this, it 
is necessary to mix a quantity of fine sand with the seed at the time 
of sowing, which if well rubbed with it, will prevent it falling on the 
bed in lumps. 
