274 The American Flower Garden 



bedding plant for both foliage and flower. Roots tender and must 

 be wintered in cellar. Give water in abundance; at home on pond 

 edges. Modern varieties have flowers nearly as big as a man s palm. 



CROCUS, AUTUMN (Colchicum autumnale). Purple, pink, white. Indi 

 vidual flower 4 inches across. September; 3 to 4 inches high. 

 Plant in August. Divide in July, and do not disturb until crowded. 

 (C. Parkinsoni.) Veins outlined in purple, giving checker-like 



effect. , CLOTH-OF-GOLD (Crocus Susianus). Yellow. , 



SCOTCH (C. biflorus). White striped lilac. , IMPERATI (C. 



Imperati). Purplish blue. , DUTCH (C. Mcesiacus). , 



COMMON (C. vernus). Varieties, white, lilac, purple; All 3 to 5 

 inches. The largest individual flowers and most effective of the 

 dwarf spring bulbs. Of equally easy culture. Perfectly hardy. If 

 planted in lawn, foliage must be allowed to mature before grass is 

 cut. March. Best named varieties of the common crocus are Snow 

 Queen, Queen of Purples, and Bleu Celeste. 



CROWN IMPERIAL (Fritillaria imperialis). Brownish red. April. (See 

 OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS, p. 58.) 



DAFFODIL. See NARCISSUS. 



DAHLIA (Dahlia variabilis). All colours but blue and true scarlet; 

 August, October; 2 to 6 feet. Easily raised from seed, flowering 

 first year. Tops cut by first frost. Most important tuberous rooted 

 plant and most effective of all the tall growing kinds for late flowers. 

 Has most brilliant flowers and a greater variety of them, combined 

 with greater diversity and form, than any other one group of plants. 

 All the varieties in cultivation are forms of the one species. Plant 

 the tubers in any good garden soil after danger of frost is past and 

 give cultivation same as potatoes. Lift roots in November after 

 tops have been cut off by first frost and store in sand or ashes in 

 frost-proof cellar. It is best to divide old roots when replanting. 

 Dahlias are classified according to the form and colour, as follows: 

 Show, regularly quilled rays, self-coloured or lighter at the base. 

 Fancy, regularly quilled rays darker at the base. Cactus, petals 

 variously twisted and revolute, all colours. Decorative, a modern 

 intermediate group with broad and flat petals, but generally useful 

 for cutting. Single, daisy-like flowers with conspicuous disc and an 

 outer rim and row of florets. Peony-flowered, most modern, irregu 

 larly formed sort of semi-double decorative type. Very large. The 



