RANUNCULUSES. 83 
before a moderate fire, till it is juft warm, 
and no more; the feed will then eafily 
fcrape off, by means of a pen-knife; 
but great care muft be taken to avoid 
fcraping it off in lumps, or fuffering any 
pieces of the ftalk, dried petals of the 
flower, or other extraneous matter to be 
mixed with it, which would create a 
mouldinefs when fown, of very deftruc- 
tive confequence: when the feed is 
fcraped in a proper manner, it will 
have much of the appearance of clean 
coarfe bran, with a little brown or purple 
fpeck in the centre of each cuticle, 
which is the kernel. 
When the feed is thus prepared, it 
Ihouid be fown in a {hallow frame, pro¬ 
vided with glaffes, fimilar to thofe made 
ufe of for cucumbers and melons; the 
foil fhould have been previoufly taken 
out, three feet deep, and fpread thin 
upon 
