C R O 



C R O 



the ground being previously well dug over, and 

 left some time to settle. They may be set 

 cither in beds bv themselves in rows, at the di- 

 !stance of eight or nine inches, and six or eight 

 inches apart, or in patches of five or six roots 

 in each, on thctionts of tlierhimps, borders, or 

 other parts of gardens and pleasure grounds, 

 putiintr them in in a varied manner, both in re- 

 spect to the sorts, and the order In which they 

 are planted. 



VVhere the soils are tolerably dn,-, they may 

 remain two or three years without being disturb- 

 ed, but should then be taken up at the time the 

 leaves decay, in order to separate the new bulbs 

 or off-sets for further increase, as well as to new 

 dig the ground. The larger bulbs should be se- 

 parated from the small ones, and put up, each by 

 themselves, in order to be planted at the proper 

 season ; the former in the above manner, and 

 the latter in beds in rows six inches distant, to 

 remain till thev are of a proper size. See 

 Bulbous Roots. 



As the bulbs increase fast, a large stock may 

 with care soon be provided. But when this is not 

 practised, bulbs of the diflfercnt species and va- 

 rieties may easily be procured from the nursery- 

 and seeds-men. 



In the culture of these plants, great injury is 

 frequently done by trimming off the green leaves 

 at the time the flowers decline, in order to pre- 

 vent litter ; as by such means the future blow is 

 rendered more weak and less beautiful. 



Where new varieties are wanted, recourse must 

 be had to the seed, which nm*t be sown m the 

 spring season, either where the plants are to re>- 

 main, in a bed of light mellow earth, or in pots 

 filled with the same sort of earth. 



The first species is the plant which is culti- 

 vated in fields, and from the stigma of which 

 the preparation known under the title of Zji- 

 glish Saffron is made. 



CKOTALAUIA, a genus affording plants of 

 the herbaceous and shrubby exotic kinds. 



It beloncs fo the class and order Diadclphiu 

 Decaiidria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Fapilionacece. 



The characters arc : that the calyx is a three- 

 parted periaiith, large, rather shorter than the 

 corolla: the two superior divisions lanceolate, 

 leaning on the standard ; the third lanceolate, 

 concave, supporting the keel, three-cleft: the 

 corolla papilionaceous : standard cordate, acute, 

 large, depressed on the sides: wings ovale, 

 shorter by half than the standard : keel acumi- 

 nate, length of the wings : the t-t:iniina consist 

 of ten filaments, connate, rising, with a split line 

 on the back, and gaping base : anthers simple ; 

 the piitilluin is an oblong germ, reflex, hirsute : 

 style simple, bent inwards at an anglf , rising : 



sligmaobtuse: the pcricarpiimi i» a^hort Icf^ime, 

 turijid, one-celled, two-valved, peilicellcd'": the 

 seeds one or two, clobosc-kidiicy-form. 



The species cultivated are: I. C. jitncea, 

 Channel-stalked Crotalaria ; 2. C. UilurnifoUa, 

 Laburnum -leaved CiDlalaria. 



'I"he first rises with an angular, rushy, stiff 

 stem, from three to nonrfour feclin height, divid- 

 ing into three or four branches : ihe'leaves are 

 narrow-lauceoLuc, alternate, closelv covered with 

 soft silvery hairs, on very short petioles : the 

 flowers arc produced at the ends of the branchfs, 

 in loose spikes, being .succeeded by large turgid 

 pods, containing one row of larpe kidney-shaped 

 seeds. It is a native of the East-Indies. 



The second species has a shrubby stem, four 

 or five feet high, dividing into many branches, 

 with trifoliate leaves, having three ov.ite acu- 

 minate lobes of a light-green colour, about two 

 inches long, and one bR)ad : the flowers arc larcje, 

 yellow, in Ian;e bunches from the sides of the 

 branches, appearing from July to September, and 

 making a fine appearance. 



Culture. — The first of these plints maybe in- 

 creased, by sowing the seeds in pots of light 

 mellow fresh mould in the spring, plunging 

 them in the hot-bed of the stove, and, when the 

 plants arc of sufficient growth, removing them 

 into separate pots ; and the second sort, either 

 by seeds in the above manner, or by planting 

 cuttings of the youno; branches in the later 

 spring or summer months, in pots of the same 

 sort of earth, and plunging them in the bark- 

 bed of the stove, giving them water fre- 

 quently, and removing them, when well rooted, 

 into separate pots. 



They may be exposed to the open air during a 

 little of the heat of summer, but at other periods 

 require the protection of the hot-house. 



They aflord variety among other exotic plants. 



CROTON, a genus comprcbendina: plants of 

 the heibiceous shrubby sort for the stove. 



It belongs to the class and order Monoecia 

 JMoiiaJelphia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Tr'tcoccie. 



The characters are : that the male flowcr< 

 are smaller than the females: the ctlyx is a 

 cylindric, five-toothed perianth : thccoix.ila lias 

 in some five petals, scarce larger than the 

 calyx, oblong, obtuse : nectary five glands, 

 aflixed to the receptacle, small : the stamina 

 consist of ten or fifteen subulate filaments, con- 

 nected at the base, length of the flower: an- 

 thers roundish, twain : female flowers renioti- 

 from the males, on the same plant: the calyx is 

 a many-leaved perianth : leaflets ovate, oblong, 

 erect : the corolla, petals as in the males (in some 

 scarce manifest) : thepisiillumisaroundishncrni; 

 styles three, rcflcx-sprcading, length of the flower. 



