THE ANEMONE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2546, 31 December 1902, Page 10

THE ANEMONE.

This florist's flower is not so much in repute at the prose-'.it time as it was some years ago, and although it no\ei gained the extraordinary popularity of the tulip of a previous century, or the narciss of the present day, like many others on the same plane of existence, it gained and still retains a large number of admirers appreciating its merits ; and as several correspondents have askt-d for some information regarding it, I shall deal with it this week.

The name is derived from a. Greek word signifying wind, and^ Ovid records that the goddess. Venus cliinged her favourite Adonis into an anemone on her hastening to see him on receiving his death blow from the tusks of a wild boar which he was hunting. Besides our land plants, we have also •in zoology what is named the animal flower, or tea anemone, so-called from the resemblance of their claws or tentacles to the petals of some flowers. They are plentiful at the entrance of Otago heads.

Of the anemone there are several varieties native to Britain, some growing on mountains with blue or yellow flower?, the more common in woods and thickets, and these the boys were wont to dig up and eat the roots, bearing tlie name "curlies." from their shape. The .New Zealand flora has no representative bearing the name. The plant belongs to the* natural orde* of crowfoot or ranunculus, a pretty large one. All the varieties of the anemone, bofrh tuberousrooted and herbaceous, are quite hardy. The tuber 3 are propagated by offsets, the others by cuttings or dnision of the roots, and both are easily raised from seed, and thrive best in a light, rich, wc-11-diained loam. They grow wild in almost all the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, are of various colours — blue, white, red, yellow, and striped — and in cultivation these have be-e-n variegated. The florists' flowers were origiuaily the offspring o f A. coronaria (garland or -striped poppy A ), native to tho Le\ant, and \. horter.sis, also striped, a native of Italy. Springing f;om theses the other garden varieties have been regularly increased, and a variety is reckoned to continue its identity for about 12 years.

A good single flower is characterised by a stout elastic sicrn,not less than 9in high, the fiowtr not les* 'than 2^in in diameter, consisting of large, uibatantial, well-rounded petals, at fir-t 'horizontally extended, and then, turning a little upv. aids, .so as to farm a broad shallow cup, the colours clear and distaict when diversified on the Fdrnc flower, or brilliant and shining if of one colour only.

A double flower should have tire outer petals quit© flat, the second low r little hhorter, the third shorter still, and so on till the contre is quite full, when tho wholeshould form a rather frat hemisphere, and everyjlouble flower should be of one colour. Such is the rule laid dcun by Donald Beaton, the rc-cognise-d authority in judging fioiists flower.

In propagating tlie roots should be taken annually on the decay of the leaf, and the offsets broken or cut, allowing the wounds on the parent to heal before replanting. They should all bo lifted before the end of December, in any weather, laid out, with the eaith adheiing, on boards in A cool si>ot out of Ihe sun lor a week, then

cleaned and laid past dry until tlie planting takes place in April or May, to flower again in October and November. The time of flowering may be regulated by successive^ planting, thus extending the period. It may also bo noted that each offset or "knob should have an eye or incipient bud, au<l for the first year the size cf the flower will depend on that of the knob.

The anemone can be planted in boxes, in borders, or in beds, as may be desired, allowing a space of 6in between each root, and great care should be taken that water is not allowed to accumulate and stagnate, and with this in view the position should be raised above the surrounding level. If the ground is too moist the roots are "apt to rot, and, besides, the plant is more liable to mildew, which makes its first appearance in spots on the underside o-f the leaf. As an additional preventive against this parasite a mixture of sea sand with tlie soil is recommended, or in its absence a slight springling of common salt. If the leaves show symptoms of swelling or becoming distorted, too muoh moisture J6 the cause.

In raising from seed the strongest plants should be selected, and when fit for handling, about the middle or end of January, planted in permanent position, and should flower the same season. The seed should be taken from the best single or semi-double kinds. The doubles do not produce seed. To force the doubles pot in April or May, in prepared loam from maiden pastures, top spit with turf, and all mixed with equal quantities of well-rotted cowdung and shaip sand, which has been well turned over and thoroughly mixed during some months previous, placing the pots in a cool frame or pit, giving water sparingly, and keeping them there until spring, when they may bo removed to a wanner position, but not forcing much, as the plants will not srand such treatment. The blooming can in this ca-e be regulated by the time of potting 1 and subsequent management.