even resembling thefe in their Colours. Some flower like double Anemone's, and others like the finest double Poppies, bringing Bloffoms as large as Peonies. Some are of a Star-like Figure, and others turning their Leaves back, fo as to form the Figure of a Globe: And there are many of such odd Figures, that I know not what to compare them with.

The greatest Part of these Flowers blow near two Foot high, and branch liberally from the Root; fo that it is not rare for one Root to bring near forty Flower-Buds to bloffom with good Strength: The manner of their Growth, and bringing their Bloffoms, is much like that - of the great yellow Ranuncula's of the Meadows, which hold in Flower near three Months, and are very hardy.

Many of these are Semi-Doubles, which bear/ Seeds that ripen well, and come out of the Ground with little Trouble; and fome of these are extraordinary, for having their Seed-bearing Veffels of a bright yellow Colour: But it is an endless Work to mention every remarkable Difference in them; you should see them, to admire them enough.

Though the Original of these Flowers came from Perfia, I find the Offspring are very hardy, and refift the Frofts, even better than our old forts of Ranuncula's, and will flourish any where, if the Ground be rightly prepar'd for them.

The natural Soil in Mr. Potter's Garden is pretty light, with a gravelly Bottom; but his Flower-Beds are made with the following Mixture, which he gives me leave to mention, that every one may have the fame Succefs that he has had, in blowing this fort of Flower. It conifts of rotted Leaves, rotted Wood, Cow-dung,

Horfe

Horse-Dung, and fome of the Surface of the natural Earth; which he gathers altogether by the Side of a Wood, into an Heap, and fifts very fine for his Beds, after it has lain together for fome Time. And when thefe are prepar'd, he plants his Roots about Michaelmas, fo as to bury the Bud of the Root about two Inches and half deep. When they begin to come out of the Ground, we may fhelter them in frosty Weather with Mats; and, as they begin to rife, cover the Bed with a fresh Coat of the aforefaid Earth, about half an Inch thick, which will greatly ftrengthen the Roots, and efpecially help the new forming Roots or Off-fets: But this must be done carefully, without injuring the Leaves or their Stalks; for every bruis'd or broken Stalk injures the Root, till the Plants come to flower, and even then too, if the Bloffoms are frequently crop'd. There is one Reason in particular for the coating the Beds with a little'. frefh Earth, which is, that the Ranunculus Root which is put into the Ground, always produces its Off-fets near an Inch above it, and as they grow, the Mother-Root decays; and even these new Roots help the good bloffoming of the Plant, because they join with the Flower-Stalk, and help to nourish it, as well as receive Nourishment from it; and therefore this fresh Earth helps both them and the Flowers.

Now, when I confider that your Soil is very ftrong and binding, I fhall take the Freedom to offer you a little Advice from my own Practice, in a Soil which was fo ftiff, that it was judg'd fit for nothing but making of Bricks, and even upon fuch a Soil I had extraordinary Success, in the Culture of Ranuncula's, though it is fuppo fed by many, that a Clay Country will not blow

a Ranun

a Ranunculus, or even fuffer it to live, although the Beds are prepar'd with proper Soil. I confels, was the common Method of preparing Beds in fuch a Soil to be follow'd, we must expect the Roots to be deftroy'd, or to produce very weak Flowers; for the ufeful Way of making usual thefe Beds, is to dig deep Trenches in this clay Ground, and fill thofe Trenches with good light fifted Mould, which Practice I find to be wrong; for if we once dig Trenches in clay Ground, they serve only to receive and hold all the Water that falls; fo that the fine Earth which is put into them becomes a perfect Bog, which corrupts and chills the Roots, although they are planted fomewhat above where the Surface of the Clay reaches; yet this muddy and standing Water at the Bottom has furely an unwholesom Vapour which rifes from it; and the Earth, in the upper Part of the Bed, is kept fo continually moist by the Wet below, that a Ranunculus cannot, by any Means, endure it; and I have experienc'd, that the best Drains that can be made from these fort of Beds cut in Clay, will not fufficiently drain them of the Wet they receive, even though the Ground lies upon a hanging Level. I therefore find it advisable in fuch Ground, only to take off the fuperficial Soil which covers it, three or four Inches deep, without entering the Clay, and then lay a little Coat of Sea-Coal Afhes, or for want of them, fome Lime Rubbish, and upon any of thefe, to raise my Bed about nine Inches or a Foot thick, with good prepar'd Earth, fuch as I have mention'd above, or as I us'd to do about one third Part fandy Loam, as much old Melon Earth, and the reft rotted Wood and Leaves; but these must be well mix'd together, and fifted before we use

it.

it. But I have had very good Success likewife in making my Beds for Ranuncula's of Mould that I have taken out of great Woods; I mean the Parings of the Surface, which has been chiefly rotted Leaves and Wood, that has lain there, I fuppofe, many Years. The Reason I chofe that Soil, was, because I obferv'd the common Ranunculus call'd Pilewort, grew and profper'd in it wonderfully: And a Gardiner at Acton, who made his Ranunculus-Beds of old Tanners-Bark, had his Ranuncula's profper fo well in it, that he had feldom less than eight or ten Roots Encrease, for every one he put into the Ground.

I muft obferve likewife, that the Paths or Alleys between thefe Beds fhould be fill'd up with Sea-Coal Ashes, or Lime, or Brick-Rubbish, or Sea-Sand, to draw the fuper-abundant Moisture from the Beds, and keep the Ground about them as dry as may be; or else, if these are difficult to be had, we may lay the Alleys with Grafs-turf, which will likewife help to keep the Beds dry in the Winter, which the Ranuncula's require. The raifing the Beds thus upon the Top of the Clay, will fuffer the Wet that falls to pass away without incommoding the Plants, and you may then expect a good Shew of Flowers. I have known this kind of Flower blow extreamly well under a South Wall. Iam,

SIR,

Your most humble Servant,

Richard Bradley.

CHAP.

CHA P. IX.

Seventy fix Obfervations and Experiments concerning MANURING, PLANTING, GRAFFING, and PRUNING of Trees, with the beft Method of gathering and preferving the Fruit, by J. M. Efq;

T

HOUGH we frequently meet with good Inftructions concerning the Culture of Fruit-trees, yet it is obfervable, that every Day produces fome improving Discovery among the Curious. In the Time of my Practice I have pick'd up the following Remarks, which, I think, will be of Service to every one who is a Lover of good Fruit.

Obfervation I.

A

If any Branch in the middle of the Tree rifes with too much Luxuriance above the reft, in full fappy Wood, we must cut it off close to the Body of the Tree, but with Regard, we do not injure the Bark of the great Wood we take it from; for fuch a Wound would endanger the Health of the Tree, the wounded Part would VOL. II.

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