198 
THE FLORIST S JOURNAL. 
majority of practitioners as useless theories, thus leading us to 
ascribe our failures to other causes than the right. I might 
have gone more minutely into the subject, but I consider I 
have said sufficient to show the importance of ascertaining the 
correctness of a principle before we venture upon its con¬ 
demnation. J. F. M s Elroa. 
Stockwell. 
ON PLANTING THE RANUNCULUS. 
S IRj „ Many are the complaints of loss of Ranunculuses, from 
all quarters, this last season. Allow me to advise your readers 
who grow this lovely flower, to make up their beds now ; for by 
doing so they will save many a root, as I am confident I have 
done. Dig out the beds intended for them, lay a layer of old 
cow-dung, about 8 inches below the surface, and 3 inches deep, 
having previously turned up the subsoil. Shake a little lime 
over the dung, to kill the worms, and fill up the bed with a mix¬ 
ture of loam, leaf-mould, and some very old cow-dung, almost 
reduced to mould itself. Let it remain undisturbed till planting¬ 
time (February). These are directions I received from an emi¬ 
nent Scotch grower, and they are good in practice ; next month 
I may write more about this flower, choice of sorts, &c . 
Your obedient servant, 
Clericus. 
[Our correspondent, in this short note, gives excellent advice, 
which we recommend to the attention of all who grow the 
Ranunculus. The object to be gained is a firm bottom, on which 
to plant the roots. So fully alive to the importance of this 
matter are the Dutch growers, that they beat the surface of the 
bed down firmly with wooden beaters previously to planting. 
We shall be glad of the promised notes.] 
