* 
CROCUS. 
171 
CROCUS. 
over during that time, to prevent the 
seeds from haying their vital powers 
destroyed by the heat generated by | 
fermentation. ‘The finer kinds of 
thorns are generally grafted or bud- | 
ded on seedlings of the common 
Hawthorn. 
Creepinc Cereus.—Céreus fla- 
gelliformis. — A succulent plant 
with long round pendent stems, 
beautiful pink flowers, and dark | 
purple eatable fruit. For the cul- 
ture, &c., see Cre‘REUs. 
Cre'pis. — Composite.— Annual, 
biennial, and perennial plants, na- 
tives of Europe, of easy culture in 
any common soil. The two kinds 
most common in gardens are, how- 
ever, now removed to other genera ; 
C. barbata, the yellow Hawkweed, 
being now made Tolpis barbata, and 
Crépis rubra, the red Hawkweed, 
being now called Borkhaisia riibre. 
The first kind only requires sowing 
in the open ground with the other 
annuals in March or April, and may 
be transplanted if necessary ; the 
second is also quite hardy, but it 
should be sown where it is to re- 
main, as it does not well bear trans- 
planting. 
Cress-Rocxet.—See Ve'Lua. 
Crinum. -—Amaryllidacee.—Stove 
bulbous-rooted, lily-like plants, with 
very long leaves and large white 
flowers, which in some species are 
fragrant. The plants should be 
grown in rich loam mixed with a | 
little peat and sand, and allowed 
plenty of pot-room. ‘They are 
Increased by suckers, which are 
produced very sparingly. Several 
of the plants which are called 
by some botanists Crinum, are 
called by others Pancratium, or 
Amaryllis. 
, Cro'cus.—Iriddcee.—There are 
“nearly a hundred named kinds of 
Crocus, including hybrids and varie- 
‘not be taken out of the ground 
oftener than once in three years, 
being replanted as soon as possible. 
The commonest kinds are C. vérnus, 
of which there are many varieties, 
all, however, having in them some 
shade of lilach mixed with white; C. 
| versicolor, to which division belong 
the beautifully-feathered kinds of 
| purple; C. biflérus, the Scotch Cro 
cus, striped white and purple, and 
generally the first to flower in 
Spring ; C. susidnus, the Cloth of 
Gold, striped orange and very dark 
purple ; C. sulphtreus, very pale 
yellow, or cream-coloured ; and G. 
luteus, the common yellow. Be- 
sides these, there is C. sativus, the 
autumn-flowering Crocus, or saffron, 
which is cultivated on a large scale, 
in some parts of England, particu- 
| larly near Saffron Walden in Essex, 
for its flowers, which, when dried, 
become saffron, and are used in dye- 
ing. There are also large planta- 
| tions of saffron in France; but in 
| that country the bulb is frequently 
|attacked by a fungus which the 
| French call mort de safran, which 
makes it wither up and perish. All 
the kinds of spring Crocuses should 
be grown in light sandy loam well 
drained, and they may be planted 
| either in rows or beds: or they may 
be made to forma kind of arabesque 
pattern in the borders. 
In whatever way the Crocus may 
be planted, the leaves should never 
be cut off till they begin to wither, 
as without their assistance the plant 
cannot accumulate matter to form 
its new bulb for the ensuing season. 
The new bulb always forms above 
the old one ; so that in four or five 
years they will have almost pushed 
themselves out of the ground; and 
from this habit of growth, Crocuses 
are generally planted three or four 
/inches deep. Crocuses, when in 
ties ; but there are only about thirty flower, are frequently destroyed by 
distinct species. All the kinds have | sparrows, which peck at them, and 
bulb-tubers or corms, and they should | the bulbs are often eaten by mice. 
