20 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ February, 
Angers Horticultural Society, by M. Millet, its 
president, “ The brandies of tlie Beurre Giifard,” 
continues M. Burrenicli, “ are of a deep brown 
purple, with scattered lenticels ; the leaves are 
large, and few in number, which gives to the 
tree a meagre and unfurnished aspect. The 
fruits are pyriform, inverted cone-shaped, olive- 
yellow, with a blood-red cheek, strewed with 
numerous dots of a very bright tint. The 
flesh is white, very delicate and juicy, with an 
agreeable aroma. The eye is close, and but 
little sunk; and the peduncle is rather long 
and w'oody, which causes the fruit to hold well 
to the tree. The fruit lasts a long while in 
maturity for a summer pear, and as an early 
fruit, no variety of its season can rival the 
Beurre Giffard.”—T. Moore. 
THE RANUNCULUS. 
Persian (Banuncidus asiati- 
s ^ florists’ flower, which naturally 
blooms in May and June. The varieties 
are endless, and their blooming season may be 
considerably extended by planting at different 
seasons. They excel most flowers in their 
svmmetry of shape, and in the brilliancy of 
their colour. No two plants from seed produce 
flowers exactly alike, or the same as the 
original. A bed of choice flowers of this plant 
presents one of the most attractive objects 
possible ; every shade of violet, purple, and 
black is seen, mingled with snow-white and 
golden-yellow, while some are striped like the 
Carnation, edged like the Picotee, or mottled, 
marbled, and spotted in the most interminable 
diversity. Yet how seldom do we see them ? 
They are easily grown from seed, which 
should be sown about the middle of October, 
in boxes about G in. deep, using ample drainage, 
and a compost of rich garden loam ; cover very 
lightly with dry soil, and waater carefully from 
a very fine rose. The boxes are best set in 
a cold frame, with a north aspect, where air 
and light can be freely admitted, but not the 
mid-day sun. The young plants will appear 
in about five weeks, and will require little at¬ 
tention, beyond occasional waterings, until the 
end of July, when they should be taken out of 
the soil, gradually dried, and kept in dry sand 
until required for planting. These seedling 
tubers, if planted again in October or February, 
will mostly bloom the following May or June. 
Named varieties are increased by offsets, 
which should be separated from the tubers 
when they are taken out of the ground; these 
should be kept in bags or boxes, until required 
for planting. The medium-sized tubers give 
the best blooms, the very large ones being apt 
to divide into offsets, and seldom flower strongly. 
The planting season may depend, to a great 
extent, upon the time at which they are desired 
in bloom ; but as a rule, if strong tubers are 
used, they may be planted at the end of Octo¬ 
ber ; if smaller offsets, February or March ; the 
former being apt to become mouldy if kept out 
of the ground till spring, the latter being more 
susceptible of injury by frost and wet weather. 
Some half-decayed stable-manure or other pro¬ 
tecting material, which can be removed after 
the severe weather is past, is absolutely neces¬ 
sary for those which are planted early. The 
bed in which they are to be planted should be 
filled with fresh, loamy soil, richly manured to 
the depth of a foot or more ; in fact, a layer of 
well-rotted cow-dung at the bottom of the bed 
is found of great benefit to them, both as re¬ 
taining moisture and supplying nourishment. 
Unrotted turf and fresh dung are sure to cause 
canker in the tubers. They are best planted in 
lines, six inches apart, placing some sand below 
and above each, and covering them with two 
inches of fresh loam. It is important, when 
the aspect of the bod exposes it to the full sun 
throughout the day, to be provided with an 
awning, which must be used when the flowers 
are expanding or expanded, for bright sunshine 
will not onl}^ cause them to run or fade, but 
cause the leaves to turn yellow prematureljq 
thus both affecting the bloom and injuring the 
plant, by preventing the formation of sufficient 
cambium to nourish and mature the tuber. 
The following will form a good selection ;— 
BelIjA Donna, white, violet spots. 
Blanche Picotee, white, black spots. 
Blanche supeeba, splendid white. 
Belle Beegeee, fine lilac. 
Bishop’s Kose, pink, dwarf. 
Carlo Dolce, white, rosy margin. 
Commodore Napier, yellow, pink-edged. 
Codronne d’Amoue, lilac. 
Couronne de Celle, violet. 
Crown of Amsterdam, rosy violet. 
Dollard, large white, violet-tipped. 
Darius, creamy white. 
D.edalus, crimson. 
Euphrosa'ne, rosy red, bordered yellow. 
Eutopia, white, violet margin. 
Fireball, fiery red. 
Fridoline, white, spotted with rose. 
