Snowdrops 



before the leaves are produced, and with them, as with 

 the naked flowering Crocuses, the sheathing leaf opens 

 the road to the surface only, and, once there, parts to 

 allow the blossom to emerge from its protection ; but they 

 have not the same charm for me as those which flower 

 with their leaves, looking rather forlorn, hanging above 

 bare earth. Most of these come from Greece, and one, 

 Galanthus corcyrensis, from Corfu, and are generally regarded 

 as forms of the common Snowdrop G. nivalis. 



Except in time of flowering there is not much differ- 

 ence between them, and they are none of them very easy 

 to please, evidently expecting the winter to be mild and 

 sunny and kind to their young leaves in return for their 

 early heralding of Spring. So they are only safe in the 

 open in specially sheltered nooks, while a cold frame makes 

 a still happier home for them. Galanthus Olgae is the first 

 to appear here, and generally does so in the latter part of 

 October, and looks sadly out of place at that season. It 

 has been described as a species, and retained as such by 

 some authors, because it is said to have no green marking 

 on the inner segments. But the original description 

 distinctly states that when dried the inner segments appear 

 to have no green markings, and I notice that in this form 

 more than in any other the green fades to yellow, and 

 sometimes disappears altogether if an elderly blossom is 

 dried. It has been rather largely collected of late years, 

 and can be bought much more reasonably than other 

 autumnal Snowdrops, and is well worth a trial wherever 

 a cosy nook can be spared to it. G. Rachelae is my 

 favourite of the first comers, but alas ! it is so rare that it 

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