Flowering of Early Spring Flowers. 243 
are reputed to be especially early blooming kinds. There are of 
course several species of crocus which bloom in autumn, and I 
have one (Crocus hiemalis) which blooms in December. 
During March, besides several other species of bulbous plants, 
the violet, periwinkle, several species of Primula, and the early 
Saxifrages come into flower. Of the latter, the earliest with me 
has been Sawifraga oppositifolia, then Burseriana, luteo-purpurea, 
and sancta. Towards the end of the month several flowering 
shrubs come out, as FYorsythia viridissima, with its yellow flowers 
appearing before the leaves, the almond, and red currant (Ribes 
sanguineum) ; also the plum, pear, and other fruit trees. During 
April many more species of, plants come into flower, and the 
rock-garden is at its best in May, when also the mass of the 
flowering shrubs are in bloom. But the borders have lost their 
gaiety when the early flowering bulbs are over, and do not 
resume it again until well into the summer. 
The time of flowering of any particular plant or species varies 
of course with the character of the particular season ; it may be 
earlier or later by a month, six weeks, or even more. Thus 
such hardy species as Scilla bifolia, Cyclamen coum, and Crocus 
aureus were six weeks later in the severe spring of 1895 than in 
1896. Of the four years (1893-1896), 1893 might be called an 
average season, 1894 and 1896 were early, and 1895, from. the 
latter part of January, very backward. 
The following are the meteorological characters of the early 
part of the four years :— 
1893.—December, 1892, had been cold, the mean temperature 
at Greenwich being 86:9°, or 2°3° below the average. The four- 
feet earth thermometer on Jan. 1st stood at 42°. January began 
with a period of frost, which lasted till the 18th ; but the latter 
part of the month was milder. February had alternating mild 
and cold periods, with a spell of frost in the last week. March 
was mild, except a short period of frost in the middle, and the 
beginning of April was very warm, The mean temperature of 
the first quarter at Greenwich was 40‘9°. 
_1894.—In December, 1893, the mean temperature at Greenwich 
was 40°6°, or 1:6° above the average. On Jan. 1st, 1894, my four- 
_ feet thermometer stood at 48°6°._ The first week of January was 
a period of intense frost, but it thawed on the 9th, and the rest 
of the month was mild. February was mild, except for a period 
_ of frost (18th-23rd). March also was fairly mild. The mean 
temperature at Greenwich during the first quarter of 1894 
was 41°4°. 
_ 1895.—December, 1894, was mild, the mean temperature at 
_ Greenwich being 42:2°, or 3:2° above the average. The four-feet 
‘th ermometer on Jan. 1st, 1895, marked 44:2°. The first fort- 
_ night of January was frosty; then came a week or so of mild 
: BQ 
